The strengths of a great head of state

The head, the heart, the vision and the courage. Brian Mulroney alone combined the assets that make a great head of state.

Beyond his major achievements which have forged the Canada of today, the leadership style of the man who was Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993 also deserves to go down in history. These human qualities can serve as inspiration to confront the current challenges of our society, starting with the widening of political divisions.

Brian Mulroney was a bridge builder who convinced René Lévesque to take “the great risk” of reconciling Quebec and Canada (which would lead to the Meech Lake agreement) and who took the initiative to negotiate the free trade agreement with the United States.

The former Conservative leader did not hesitate to cross the political trenches to help the opposing party, as he did by lending a hand to the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau, taken by surprise by the election of Donald Trump which threatened to destroy the free trade agreement.

An outstanding negotiator, Brian Mulroney mastered the art of finding common ground. His secret: being sincerely interested in people, in their lives, in their loved ones. These little touches took him far. “ Small talk leads to big talk », say the Anglos.

This human and unifying style of Brian Mulroney contrasts with today’s increasingly divided world. Culture wars, over “wokes”, immigration or the environment, undermine social cohesion and democracy. We not only harbor an increasingly deep antipathy for the opposing party, but also for its supporters, considered dishonest, immoral, narrow-minded.^{1, 2}.

But how can we get along when trust has disappeared, when dialogue is broken?

Although he was a master in the art of finding compromises, Brian Mulroney did not lack the courage to follow through on his political convictions.

Initially, he was accused of wanting to “sell” the country to the Americans with his free trade project. His own party was historically against it. The entourage of American President Ronald Reagan was fiercely opposed to it. But Brian Mulroney’s power of persuasion worked miracles.

Even more daunting was the creation of the GST, a 7% sales tax that is obvious to consumers. Nothing to help a politician’s popularity rating. But everything to help Canada’s credit rating whose public finances needed a serious boost. Brian Mulroney chose the country.

In the coming years, politicians will once again face difficult choices. COVID-19 has increased government debts, at a time when climate and demographic changes require significant investments.

Will politicians be able to make unpopular but necessary decisions?

Brian Mulroney was also a visionary. He was a blue with a green heart. A conservative who placed the environment at the top of his list of priorities… 40 years ago.

His efforts helped combat the acid rain that was killing our lakes, protect the ozone layer and unblock the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 to combat climate change.

Now that the populist movement seeks to slow down the green transition, it is important to remember that a conservative, concerned with economic interests, can also be at the forefront on the environmental level, in the name of the common good.

We will also remember from Brian Mulroney’s time in politics that Canada can play a role on the international scene. A leadership role, not a sheep role, as at the moment with the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza where Canada is content to follow in the footsteps of its partners.

In the fight against apartheid, Brian Mulroney did not hesitate to fiercely oppose the regime of racial segregation in South Africa, even if it meant offending his allies Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher who wanted nothing to do with sanctions. .

The day after his release, after 27 years in prison, anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela telephoned Brian Mulroney to ask him if he could give his first speech in a foreign parliament in Ottawa.

On the other end of the phone, the Prime Minister of Canada replied: “Mr. Mandela, do you want to come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? », relates the journalist Guy Gendron in an excellent work on the life of Brian Mulroney³.

Mandela actually came in 1990 to thank Canada for the leading role it had played at the UN, the Commonwealth, the Francophonie and the G7 in the dismantling of apartheid. He took care to emphasize the reconciliation so dear to Brian Mulroney… who nevertheless saw the Meech Lake agreement slip away from under his feet.

Without doubt the greatest mourning of his political life. Today, Canada is in mourning for a great politician. In the name of The Pressour most sincere condolences to the Mulroney family and their loved ones.

1. Check out a report on partisan frustration

2. Check out a report on partisan antipathy

3. Brian Mulroney: the man of great risksGuy Gendron, Quebec America, 2014.