Conservative Interim leader Rona Ambrose speaks in Ottawa on Tuesday May 16, 2017. The longtime MP, who has led the Conservatives since they formed Opposition in 2015, will resign her seat in the House of Commons this summer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
May 16, 2017 - 11:17 AM
OTTAWA - Here's a brief sketch of Rona Ambrose, who is stepping down next month as interim Opposition leader and Conservative MP:
Age: 48.
Early Years: Born in Valleyview, Alta., to parents Colleen and James Chapchuk. Grew up in different countries as her oil executive father travelled. She spent nine years in Brazil as a child and also lived in Borneo, Singapore and Egypt before returning to Canada in her mid-teens.
Education: Bachelor of arts from the University of Victoria and a master's degree in political science from the University of Alberta.
Before politics: Longtime volunteer at the Edmonton's Women's Shelter; prior to that was a volunteer at the Victoria Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre.
Personal life: Partner J.P. Veitch is a former professional rodeo cowboy who now works in the energy sector.
Quote: After being turfed from cabinet in 2007, joked she was going to start her own cosmetics line, featuring a body cream for women going into politics. The label would say to use liberally, because "the more you put on, the thicker your skin gets."
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017