Brian Mulroney: The Personification of Leadership

PHOTO BY US DoD VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

By: Camilo Sebastian

When contemplating who I would dedicate this article to, I began by establishing criteria that describe exemplary leadership qualities in an individual. A leader must be an individual who has made significant contributions to society, and who does not shy from making difficult, sometimes unpopular, decisions if they will contribute to general welfare. I decided to write on a Canadian who made incredible contributions to the country in his time as prime minister, and who has been one of Canada’s finest and most consequential leaders. This man is former prime minister, the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, who led the nation from 1984 to 1993.

While I have never had the honor of meeting the former prime minister, I have nevertheless been inspired by his early life and ultimately his work as Canada’s 18th prime minister. Prime minister Mulroney began to show at an early age his strong moral character, and he often shares the advice that his father gave him when his family was struggling financially. When a young Mulroney offered to remain in his hometown of Baie-Comeau, Quebec and seek an apprenticeship at a paper mill, his father told him: “The only way out of a paper mill town is through a university door, and you Brian are going to university.” The former prime minister attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Mulroney then pursued a law degree, and worked in private practice before entering the political spheres. It was in politics that he earned the respect of many Canadians and his rightful place in the records of history.

Former United States Secretary of State James Baker III, described Brian Mulroney as “the greatest statesmen of our time.”. When examining Mulroney’s record as prime minister, there is no label more fitting. During his tenure, Mulroney led the country through times of both prosperity and turmoil. At home, Mulroney campaigned on and won the fight against opponents of free trade, deregulation, and privatization. Other significant challenges that Mulroney endured included two attempts to achieve national unity via constitutional reform, tripling Canada’s legal immigration population, and implementing the Multicultural Act, which reaffirmed Canada’s identity as a nation of immigrants and as a country that values the diversity of its population as one of its greatest strengths.

In addition, under the stellar leadership of the former prime minister, Canada participated in a variety of consequential foreign policy missions, such as the fight against apartheid in South Africa, the achievement of German unification at the end of the Cold War, and providing humanitarian aid to Ethiopia during the country’s famine crisis. Other accomplishments of his include the negotiation and ratification of both the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as well as the institution of several key environmental agreements such as the Acid Rain Treaty and ensuring Canada’s participation in the Convention of Biological Diversity in Rio de Janeiro. Mulroney’s environmental commitment earned him the distinction of Canada’s Greenest prime minister.

There were numerous visions that former prime minister Brian Mulroney sought that were extremely unpopular at the time of their conception, one of which already been mentioned: free trade. Many Canadians and influential political leaders vehemently opposed Mulroney’s mission to establish a free trade agreement with the United States, arguing that it would damage the Canadian economy and make Canada subordinate to the United States. With time, however, these claims proved to be anything but accurate. Today Canada’s economy flourishes as a result of the free trade agreement that Mulroney implemented. Employment in Canada increased at a significant rate, the country’s GDP rose and the relationship between Canada and the United States improved after years of hostility and isolation. Another example of prime minister Mulroney’s unpopular decisions was the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Leading a Conservative government, the notion of imposing a new tax on Canadians seemed contradictory, however, the revenue collected under this tax meant that Canadians in need were able to receive support through government programs, and has overall functioned to strengthen and support the Canadian economy.

When asked about popularity and approval ratings, former prime minister Brian Mulroney has consistently responded that in the grand scheme of things popularity is meaningless. Mulroney argues that a leader is not one who takes the most popular course of action, but the one who makes the right decision even if it means compromising high approval ratings and chance of reelection. Indeed, a leader is one who has the ability to see beyond the present and plan for the future. Most of the former prime minister’s policy initiatives were unpopular and controversial at the time they were introduced, but scores of political scientists and Canadian citizens realized later on that his contribution to Canada and the world remains unmatched.