Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister who forged a close relationship with the United States through a comprehensive free trade agreement and whose Progressive Conservative Party suffered a crushing defeat shortly after leaving office, died on Thursday. He was 84 years old.
The country’s 18th prime minister passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, his daughter Caroline Mulroney said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Mulroney’s family said her condition was improving day by day after undergoing heart surgery last summer following treatment for prostate cancer in early 2023.
Mulroney, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party from 1983 to 1993, won the largest majority in Canadian history with 211 of 282 seats, and served as prime minister for almost a decade after first being elected in 1984.
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With this victory, Canada will have a Conservative government with a majority for the first time in 26 years. His government was re-elected in 1988.
Mulroney took office with overwhelming support, but resigned with the lowest approval rating in Canadian history. It has been several years since the most recent prime minister asked him for advice.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement: “Brian Mulroney loved Canada and I am shocked to learn of his death. He never stopped working for Canadians and always wanted this country to be better than the one he called home.” “We were trying to make it a place.”
“As we continue to mourn his death and keep his family and friends in mind, we recognize Mr. Mulroney’s role in building the modern, dynamic and prosperous country we know today,” Trudeau said. Let’s celebrate.”
Known for his charm and Irish eloquence (gift of chatter), the man passionately advocated for stronger ties between the United States and Canada. He praised two American presidents.
His promotion of free trade agreements was influenced in no small part by his friendly relationship with US President Ronald Reagan.
Few Canadians have forgotten Mulroney and Regan’s duet, “Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” which was widely broadcast at Quebec City’s Shamrock Summit in 1985 during his reign. It was named after the couple’s Irish heritage and the fact that its summit was above St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Day. The 24-hour talks opened the door to future free trade negotiations between the two countries.
In addition to a fan base of fellow conservative Margaret Thatcher, Mulroney can also boast an enduring friendship with former President George H.W. Bush.
Mulroney delivered the eulogy at Bush’s state funeral.
Mr. Mulroney also praised Mr. Reagan in 2004. Mr. Mulroney, Mr. Reagan and Mr. Bush shared the world stage as leaders of their countries during the final decade of the Cold War and became friends.
Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney arrives at Christ Church Cathedral for the national commemoration ceremony honoring Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, September 19, 2022 in Ottawa, Ontario. Mulroney died at the age of 84, his daughter Caroline Mulroney posted. Social Media, Thursday, February 29, 2024. (Justin Tan/Canadian Press, via AP)
Mr. Mulroney’s nine years in office overlapped with Mr. Bush’s four years.
Mulroney’s friendly relations with southern states contributed to the development of the Free Trade Agreement, a hotly contested agreement at the time. This trade agreement led to a permanent restructuring of Canada’s economy and a significant increase in North-South trade.
However, Mulroney’s government was plagued by scandals, with voters disastrously defeating his Progressive Conservative Party in 1993, giving the party just two seats in the 295-member House of Commons, ending his nearly 10-year reign as prime minister. collapsed. He resigned just before the election results.
This defeat came amid widespread dissatisfaction with Canada’s then-slumping economy. Canadians have accused Mr. Mulroney of failing to address a three-year recession that has left record numbers unemployed and bankrupt.
Under his leadership, the much-criticized 7% sales tax was passed after more than 100 years of tariff protection, as was the 1988 U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. This agreement then included Mexico in 1994 and evolved into the North American Free Trade Agreement.
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After his first term in office, the Quebec leader, half-Irish and a boy from Baie-Comeau (a small French-speaking town), campaigned passionately for a trade deal.
But many voters opposed the deal, fearing it would jeopardize Canada’s sovereignty. Critics blame Canada’s rising unemployment rate in the late 1980s and early 1990s on factors such as companies moving south to escape Canada’s rising taxes and labor costs.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Mulroney was maligned during his time in government over free trade agreements, but will go down in history as a leader who put Canada on a path to unprecedented economic growth and prosperity. He said it would be.
Mr. Mulroney also frustrated Canadians by failing to unite the country’s feuding provinces at the time or resolve French-speaking Quebec’s request for special constitutional status, ultimately leading to the presidential election. After leaving office, this led to a referendum on the separation of Quebec. The Quebec separatists lost by a narrow margin.
Mulroney was born on March 20, 1939 in Baie-Comeau, an isolated smelter town on Quebec’s North Shore.
He was hired as a labor lawyer by Ogilvy Renault, Montreal’s largest law firm, and later became president of the Canadian Iron Ore Company, a subsidiary of Cleveland-based Hanna Mining.
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Mulroney leaves behind his wife, Mila Mulroney, and four children: Caroline, Ben, Mark, and Nicholas.
