OTTAWA—Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney passed away peacefully on February 29, 2024 at the age of 84 in Palm Beach, Florida surrounded by his family. He is remembered for his many accomplishments, including on the economic front with the North American Free Trade Act (although signed into law by his successor Jean Chretien) and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), both of which have had enormous impacts on the economy, and environment, with the Environmental Protection Act. In leading the battle against acid rain and other environmental disasters, he proved that no matter how insurmountable the odds seem, a determined leader can make a difference.
He will also be remembered for his greatest failures, getting Quebec’s signature on the Canadian Constitution, with the demise of both the Meech Lake Accord in 1987 and later in Charlottetown in 1992. He was arguably the best positioned of the Canadian prime ministers to attempt that feat, having been at the head of one of only two Conservative governments to win a majority of seats in Quebec during the 20th Century—and he did it not once, but twice.
“He was committed to this country, loved it with all his heart and served it for many, many years in many different ways,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters following the announcement of Mr. Mulroney’s death. “He shaped our past, but he shapes our present and he will impact our future as well. He was an extraordinary statesman and he will be deeply, deeply missed.”
“Just like so many others, I was saddened to learn of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s passing,” said Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes. “Although we may not have agreed with all of his policies when he led this country, he did make significant headway on the environmental front in dealing with acid rain and the depletion of the ozone layer. He was also a trailblazer on human rights issues, such as calling for an end to apartheid in South Africa, as well as issuing an apology in 1988 and providing redress to thousands of Japanese Canadians who were displaced, detained and whose homes and livelihood were taken away from them by the Canadian government in 1942. Even after his term as prime minister ended, he remained engaged in the political sphere and was always just a phone call away. Even the former and later NDP Leader Jack Layton sought out the advice of the Honourable Brian Mulroney when the NDP formed the official opposition. As so many tributes continue to pour in, I join in thanking him for his service to our country and extend my deepest condolences to his family and his friends.”
“He was loyal to the Conservative Party his whole life,” said local Conservative Party stalwart Jib Turner. “To me, his enthusiasm in mentoring new politicians and government as a whole should be his biggest legacy.”
Mr. Mulroney was born in Baie Comeau, Quebec and grew up in that small, working-class town. An Anglophone Roman Catholic of Irish descent, he studied law and went on to become one of the nation’s leading labour lawyers before entering politics.
With his flawless bilingualism and small-town background, Mulroney was a godsend to the Progressive Conservative party when he became its leader in 1983. At the time, the PCs had won a majority of seats in Quebec just once in the 20th century.
Although now lauded as a visionary leader and receiving plaudits from both sides of the aisle, when he left the centre stage of politics he was among the most reviled of political leaders and his successor, Kim Campbell took the fall in one of the most disastrous election results in Canadian history.
For several years, Mr. Mulroney stayed tainted, with revelations that he had accepted large sums of money from a German arms dealer, money that he did not pay taxes on until it became clear he was going to be found out. In recent years he has emerged in the role of elder statesman and is credited with helping to reunite the right under the Conservative banner.
As Canada’s 18th prime minister, Mr. Mulroney leaves this world with a mixed legacy, but that is nothing new in the world of politics. There is no question that he will be remembered as one of this nation’s most consequential leaders.
Mr. Mulroney is survived by his wife Mila, children Ben, Caroline, Mark, Nicolas and four grandchildren.
