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“Rona would be my first call,” Premier Jason Kenney said about 20 minutes after learning that federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer will resign.

He was referring, of course, to Rona Ambrose, former Alberta Conservative MP, minister in the Stephen Harper years and interim party leader after the 2015 defeat.

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“She would be a brilliant leader,” Kenney said in an interview.

“She can certainly expect a call from me asking her to consider it. I know Rona loves the fact that she has a normal life these days, a personal life.

“But I would say to her, to any number of people, voters told us they want a new prime minister.

“They want a change of government and we need leadership that’s up to the task.

“I haven’t thought it all through yet, but Rona would be my first call.”

Kenney got the news about Scheer shortly before starting a year-end interview with me and colleague Chris Varcoe in his Calgary office.