Mulroney reminded his audience of the Tory party's long, painful climb back to power after its crushing electoral defeat at hands of Jean Chretien's Liberals.
Roughly one-third of the new Conservative caucus is comprised of rookies, some entering Parliament from other political careers, others joining after spending several years working for MPs.
Ambrose and Lake join their colleagues - and now leadership rivals - Diane Finley, Rob Nicholson and Erin O'Toole from Ontario, and Candice Bergen from Manitoba.
Veteran Calgary MP happens to be the longest, continuously serving member of the caucus, meaning that he will run his party's first post-election and post-Harper meeting next week.
Renowned Canadian poet expresses mixed feelings over Canada's new Prime Minister just days after shredding Stephen Harper in his devastating pre-election poem 'The Cut'.