Veteran politician Flora MacDonald, who served as a cabinet minister in two Progressive Conservative governments and once ran for the party leadership, died at the age of 89 in Ottawa Sunday morning, friends and colleagues confirmed.

MacDonald was external affairs minister in Joe Clark’s government during the Iran hostage crisis, which began in 1979. Later, she was appointed the minister of employment and immigration in 1984 and the minister of communications in 1986 in Brian Mulroney’s government.

MacDonald garnered attention in 1976 when she became the first woman to launch a high-profile campaign to lead the Progressive Conservative party. The nomination convention quickly turned to disappointment for her, however. She entered with 300 pledged votes, but got only 214 on the first leadership vote. The leadership eventually went to Joe Clark.

The loss coined the term “Flora Syndrome” — the disappearance of male commitment to female politicians when the pressure built up

“It sure looks like they weren’t very nice to me,” MacDonald, who represented the riding of Kingston and the Islands for 16 years until 1988, told the Star in 2014. “I just went home and that night I could only talk to my family. I couldn’t talk to anybody in the party. I was angry; and I was angry for a while, there’s no doubt.”

MacDonald was external affairs minister when the American Embassy in Tehran was taken over. Six American diplomats hid in the Canadian embassy compound for 79 days and then escaped using Canadian passports.

The merger in 2003 of the old Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance, forming the Conservative Party of Canada, was quickly denounced by MacDonald as a betrayal — specifically by Peter MacKay, who was leader of the Progressive Conservatives at the time.

“My reaction to the agreement (to merge) was first of all one of incredulity, then anger,” MacDonald wrote in the Star. “The party’s future lies not in some right-wing alliance that would violate the progressive and moderate traditions of its former leaders, but with a renewed emphasis on the values that the great majority of Canadians feel represent their views.”

“The people of Canada will not be fooled,” MacDonald told the Star after the merger was official. “The people of Canada deserve better than this.”

MacDonald, who was born June 3, 1926, previously said her core beliefs came from her father, who raised her in North Sydney, N.S., to shoulder civic responsibility.

“He was involved in everything in town,” she told the Star in 2006.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a comment on Twitter: “Condolences to the family of Flora Macdonald, who served her country at home and abroad.”

Many other Canadian politicians also mourned MacDonald’s death on Twitter.

“I mourn the passing of Flora MacDonald, whose compassion, leadership & example changed lives across our country & around the world,” tweeted former prime minister Joe Clark, her one-time boss in cabinet.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay also commented on the impact MacDonald had on the country.

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“Rest in Peace Hon. Flora MacDonald. Who had a storied political career breaking ground and building a better Canada,” he tweeted.