The Honourable Rona Ambrose, PC, MP
First elected as a Member of Parliament in 2004, Minister Ambrose was re-elected in 2006, 2008 and 2011. When she was appointed Minister of the Environment in 2006, she was the youngest women to be appointed to Cabinet in Canadian history.
Today, Ms. Ambrose is the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister Responsible for Western Economic Diversification, Shared Services Canada and Vice-Chair of the Treasury Board.
In her role as Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Minister Ambrose has made improving the transparency, accountability and fairness of the procurement process one of her top priorities. When the Government of Canada made the historic decision to build the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard fleets in Canada, it was under Minister Ambrose’s leadership that the Government of Canada developed and implemented the successful National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. This strategy ensured that process used to award the $33 billion in contracts was fair, independent and merit-based.
As the Minister for the Status of Women, she has worked tirelessly and courageously to address the problem of violence against women and girls. She has shown leadership by raising awareness of honour crimes in Canada and promoting equal rights for Aboriginal women.
She led Canada's call for an "International Day of the Girl" at the United Nations to help raise awareness of the discrimination girls face, as well as their tremendous potential. The House of Commons unanimously supported a motion put forward by Ms. Ambrose to have Canada lead this international campaign. The resolution designating the International Day of the Girl was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 19, 2011. Canada celebrated the first International Day of the Girl on October 11, 2012.
Her community service has included involvement in organizations working to end violence against women, including the Status of Women's Action Group, the Victoria Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre, and the Edmonton Women's Shelter.
Ms. Ambrose holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria and a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta.
