Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose used her speech Friday night at the Conservative convention to argue that her party needs to rebuild trust and 鈥渆xpand its reach.鈥�
Ambrose told her fellow Tories in Vancouver that the party has a long history of welcoming women, ethnic minorities and young people.
鈥淎lmost six million Canadians cast ballots for our party in the last election,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut obviously it was not enough.鈥�
Ambrose said Conservatives must remind voters that they are fighting for 鈥渙rdinary working Canadians鈥� while 鈥渢he Liberals and NDP cater to elite opinion.鈥�
鈥淲e are the voice of new Canadians who will come to Canada in the next few years ready to work,鈥� she said, after pointing out that the party had the first MPs of African-Canadian, Muslim, Hindu, Chinese, Greek and Japanese descent.
Ambrose also said she wanted to 鈥渟tress how important it is that we also reach out to young women.鈥�
鈥淵ou always hear that thing: 鈥楬ow can you possibly be a Conservative?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥�'It鈥檚 the other parties who care about women, not Conservatives.'鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not even remotely true,鈥� she said, adding that Conservatives 鈥渃are about empowering every woman to pursue her dream,鈥� whether it鈥檚 being a mother, working or doing both.
She also pointed out that Conservatives had the first female acting prime minister, the first female foreign minister and the first female prime minister.
鈥淪o, I say to Justin Trudeau,鈥� she added. 鈥淲ho鈥檚 the feminist now?鈥�
Ambrose said the party is willing to consider 鈥渁ny and all ideas that advance (the party's) triple bottom line,鈥� which she said comprises 鈥渓iberty and freedom,鈥� the importance of family, and that 鈥渇ree markets -- not the government -- are what generate prosperity.鈥�
鈥淲e know that government didn鈥檛 invent the iPhone or revolutionize the taxi industry for that matter,鈥� she added.
Ambrose finished her speech by noting that the party would have a new leader in one year.
鈥淪tanding here as the leader of this incredible party is one of the greatest honours of my life,鈥� she said.
Rona can鈥檛 run
Conservatives pushing to let interim leader Rona Ambrose run for the full leadership failed earlier on Friday in their attempt to change the party's rules.
Delegates, including Conservative MP Scott Reid, had put forward a resolution that would have changed the ban on interim leaders running to lead the party, citing Ambrose's popularity and strong work so far helming the Official Opposition.
Ambrose repeatedly said, publicly and privately, that she wasn't interested in taking over the full-time job from former leader Stephen Harper.
Party insiders had said any changes made to the Conservative constitution this weekend
Who鈥檚 running?
MPs Maxime Bernier, Michael Chong and Kellie Leitch have officially joined the race.
Other potential candidates include bigger name Conservatives such as former cabinet ministers Tony Clement, Jason Kenney, Lisa Raitt and Peter MacKay.
Businessman he will either run or try to be 鈥渒ingmaker.鈥�
MacKay, a former defence minister, said he's interested in running for Conservative Party leader but is still deciding.
"I have two kids at home that I think need me at this point in their life," MacKay said in an interview with Don Martin, host of 麻豆影视 Channel's Power Play. "I'm blessed with a very supportive spouse who's doing the heavy lifting at home, and so those have to be the primary considerations towards any thought of returning to politics."
MacKay said he still considers himself a recovering politician and the seven months since he stepped down from the House of Commons may not have been long enough to think about a return. But he says he's encouraged that delegates at the convention seem interested in having him run.
"I'm not there yet is sort of what I would say at this point. But I'm interested, I'm here, I'm encouraged by what I've heard.鈥�
麻豆影视 correspondents are live-tweeting from the convention. Follow along below in our live blog:
