Rona Ambrose to chair Rebecca Schulz’s UCP leadership campaign

A candidate vying to lead Alberta’s United Conservatives has brought on a high-profile former federal politician as campaign chair.

Rebecca Schulz posted a video to Twitter on Friday showing her speaking with Rona Ambrose, the former Conservative Opposition leader, cabinet minister and Alberta member of Parliament.

“I have a ton of respect for her, a lot of confidence in her,” Ambrose said of Schulz in the video.

“I’ve known her for years and she is a principled conservative — exactly what we need to run this province.”

Schulz, the legislature member for Calgary-Shaw, wrote on Twitter that Ambrose “knows what it takes to unite and lead a party.”

She said in the video Albertans are anxious that recent economic progress could be derailed if the New Democrats are elected in next spring’s provincial election.

Schulz had been the provincial children’s services minister before stepping down to seek the leadership.

Travis Toews and Rajan Sawhney have also left their cabinet posts for leadership runs. Other candidates include former Wildrose Party leaders Danielle Smith and Brian Jean.

The United Conservatives are to pick a new leader to replace Premier Jason Kenney on Oct. 6.