Conservative MP Rona Ambrose stands to speak in the House of Commons during question period.

Rona Ambrose a promising pick for Harper

Updated Fri. Jan. 20 2006 7:47 PM ET

Canadian Press

EDMONTON -- Conservative politician Rona Ambrose may be best known for chiding Liberal cabinet minister Ken Dryden over child care, but there's a lot more to the 36-year-old cabinet hopeful than cracks about aging caucasian males.

A self-confessed policy wonk who says she's "passionate'' about equalization policy, a libertarian who supports a strong role for government, a lover of both the intellectual novels of Ayn Rand and the sultry music of Brazil, Ambrose is a lot harder to pigeonhole than her famous one-liner might suggest.

"It never was my dream to be an MP,'' says Ambrose. "I am, first and foremost, a policy wonk.''

In fact, she was doing doing policy work for the Alberta government in 2004 when Conservative MP James Rajotte tapped her on the shoulder and suggested she take a run at a nomination.

Ambrose had written analyses of the Progressive Conservative and Alliance parties with a view toward easing their merger. Rajotte figured that expertise would enable her to speak to both sides of the new Conservative party.

She ultimately won a bruising nomination battle against eight opponents, including a former mayor and former Alberta deputy minister.

"In retrospect, I believe we got the best candidate,'' said Brian Stecyk, a longtime Conservative worker. Stecyk was behind one of the other candidates that night, but has no regrets about Ambrose.

"I talked to some of the other (candidates) and they're glad they didn't win,'' he says.

In Ottawa, Ambrose wound up with the child care file because of her interest in federal-provincial relations. It was in a debate over that issue that Ambrose told Dryden women didn't want their child care options dictated by "old white guys.''

The remark made national headlines -- much to the neophyte politician's surprise.

"I'm not one for political stunts,'' she says. "We had a debate and Mr. Dryden said a few things that he wouldn't normally say either. But it got my back up.

"I actually had no idea that there would be a problem with it or that people would be surprised. I seriously had no idea -- no idea -- that people would even react to it.

"I didn't mean it in any way against Mr. Dryden, who's a very nice man.''

It wasn't to be Ambrose's only hard lesson in the difference between policy and politics.

She was criticized during the debate over the same-sex marriage bill for allowing a supporter of the legislation to be shouted down during a public forum she hosted on the issue.

"I wish I would have said something then and there,'' she says now. "I felt really bad about what had happened.''

Ambrose calls herself a libertarian and an avid reader of Ayn Rand novels such as Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, beloved of neo-cons everywhere.

But she's also capable of statements that could have come from the reddest of Liberals.

"I think the government has a strong role to play to be there for people who need assistance,'' she says.

"First and foremost, that is the role of government -- to provide the infrastructure and to provide a social safety network. I believe in communities and I believe in people taking care of each other. The government is just us doing that on a larger scale.''

Ambrose has been named by many as cabinet material in a possible Harper government. She won't speculate on the outcome of Monday's vote, but allows that she maintains her interest in the delicate dance of Canada's national and provincial capitals.

"I would be happy to do anything, as long as I get a chance to contribute,'' she says.

"I would say what I'm most passionate about is federalism, national unity issues, issues like equalization, the fiscal imbalance ...

"The Liberals really have played regional politics. They've played regions against regions. At some point it takes its toll, and I think that's what's happened.''

The policy wonk, however, is beginning to learn a taste for retail politics.

"I love doing really hard policy work -- fiscal analysis, writing policy, inputs/outputs, all that boring stuff,'' she says.

"And I like going to Tim Horton's and sitting with the guys. I love it. They're hilarious.''

Ambrose, whose father worked for an international oil company, spent 10 years of her youth in the Bahia region of Brazil. She still speaks some Portugese and professes a love for the complex, rhythmic, highly African-influenced music of the region.

"I really love it a lot,'' she says.

Ambrose claims she isn't settling in for a career in politics. Her dream, she says, is still to go back to school for a Ph.D. in public policy.

But so far, she says, it's been quite a ride.

"It's been a great opportunity. It's been great to see this party shape up together and be a part of our founding policy (convention) and our founding principles.''

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