Send this page to someone via email

Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall says while he’s not interested in running for the federal Conservative Party leadership, he knows someone who should.

Wall said Friday he’s honoured people are thinking of him, but he’s finished with elected politics and is enjoying life in the private sector.

But he could possibly become involved if the right candidate came along, he added.

Wall said he hopes former interim leader Rona Ambrose enters the race.

Hers is one of the names being tossed around in Conservative circles as a possible replacement for Andrew Scheer, who announced on Thursday that he would resign once a new leader is chosen.

Story continues below advertisement

Wall said Ambrose was able to unite the Conservatives when former prime minister Stephen Harper quit after the party’s 2015 election defeat and during the subsequent leadership race to replace him.

2:37 Andrew Scheer thanks Rona Ambrose, Stephen Harper in acceptance speech Andrew Scheer thanks Rona Ambrose, Stephen Harper in acceptance speech

He also suggested she would concentrate the party’s attention elsewhere.

“The party wouldn’t be focused on the social conservative issues. She takes a different stand on some of them,” Wall said Friday.

“We’d be back to economic issues.” Tweet This

READ MORE: Former Saskatchewan premier sees 4 ways to reduce increasing western separation sentiment

Ambrose recently shared on social media that she’s proud to have been the first Conservative leader to march in a Pride parade. She said it’s time to show support to all families.

Story continues below advertisement

Scheer was dogged with questions throughout the fall federal election campaign and afterwards about his personal stance on same-sex marriage and abortion.

Wall said he feels the spotlight on social conservative issues hurt the party’s results and it became clear after election night it wasn’t going away.

“For me, that’s when I thought, well, I’m not sure that the party will ever be able to get back to its strength, which is economic issues, with Andrew’s leadership.”

He also suggested that Ambrose being from Alberta would be helpful given western alienation sentiments being voiced in that province and Saskatchewan.

Wall acknowledged some in the party may feel there’s a need to move away from western Canadian leaders after Scheer and Harper, but he disagrees, especially with some pushing for the formation of a federal “Wexit” separatist party.

“It should be on the list somewhere that there is an ability in the new leader to understand what’s going on in the West, the sense of alienation that’s here, and to bring those folks together, and also limit the ability of some new party to damage the chances for the Conservatives in the next election.” Tweet This

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Rona Ambrose bids goodbye to politics — ‘I had planned this all along’

But is Ambrose interested?

In 2017, she said the choice to leave her political life behind was made when she ran for interim leader after Stephen Harper stepped down following his 2015 election defeat.

“If I was going to stay in politics, I would have run for the full leadership. I made that choice then. I knew I was going to leave,” she said in an interview with The West Block.

7:03 Ambrose never intended to stay in politics once her interim role finished Ambrose never intended to stay in politics once her interim role finished

Thank you to those of you who have DM’d and tweeted me about running for the @CPC_HQ leadership. I am honoured that you feel I could contribute at that level but I will not be a candidate for the leadership. I am hopeful however that @RonaAmbrose decides to be a candidate. — Brad Wall (@BradWall306) December 13, 2019

Story continues below advertisement