Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney died on Thursday at the age of 84, his daughter Caroline Mulroney announced on social media.
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“On behalf of my mother and our family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father, the Honorable Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada. He died peacefully surrounded by his family,” Ms. Mulroney said on social network X.
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On behalf of my mother and our family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father, the Honorable Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada. He died peacefully surrounded by his family.— Caroline Mulroney (@C_Mulroney) February 29, 2024
Mr. Mulroney was weakened by the illness, although he had heart problems and was already battling cancer.
In addition to his two terms as Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993, Brian Mulroney served in many professions, including lawyer, businessman and philanthropist.
He sat on the board of Quebecor as president until his death.
Quick involvement in politics
Brian Mulroney was born in Baie-Comeau on the North Coast in 1939 and completed his high school studies at a boarding school in New Brunswick.
From 1955 he studied political science at Saint-Francis-Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
There he became interested in politics and decided to join the Progressive Conservative Party at the age of 16.
It was not until 1961 that the young Quebecer returned to the province of La Belle to study law at the University of Laval.
Having just completed his diploma in 1964, he began his career at a large law firm in Montreal. He then had the opportunity to represent large companies such as the IOC Mining Company and the Power Corporation of Canada in collective bargaining.
However, he did not forget his political commitment. Notably, in the 1970s he was the Conservatives' main organizer and responsible for the party's fundraising campaigns in Quebec.
In 1976 he was considered for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party but was defeated in the vote. Joe Clark wins the bet.
The failure did not prevent him from becoming vice president of the IOC mining company and its president the following year until 1983.
From the political summit to autumn
Brian Mulroney never gave up on a career in politics and tried his luck again in 1983 to gain the leadership of the Conservative Party, which he won against Joe Clark. He will also be elected deputy for Central Nova and will serve as leader of the opposition.
In 1984, the politician was promoted to Prime Minister after winning the most seats in history, 211 out of 282 seats.
He is the author of numerous agreements, including the United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement in 1989, before the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1992 with United States President George Bush. and the President of Mexico, Carlos Salinas.
Mr. Mulroney is also the architect of two constitutional agreements, that of Meech Lake in 1987 and that of Charlottetown in 1992, and is known for some of his environmental policies. He also actively contributed to the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa and supported the coalition during the 1991 Gulf War.
“I want future generations to remember that I truly gave everything to ensure that Canada remained a focal point of civilization,” the former Conservative leader said back in 2007 when releasing his autobiography. Brian Mulroney: Memoirs 1939-1993. In this impressive work of more than 1000 pages, he mainly talks about his years at the helm of Canada, from 1984 to 1993.
He is also the subject of a documentary called “Triumphs and betrayals: the memoirs of Brian Mulroney,” which airs on TVA. For two hours, the former Prime Minister of Canada confides in host Paul Arcand and looks back on the ups and downs of his turbulent life at the helm of the country.
His commitment to his home province also helped the Conservatives win 58 seats in Quebec.
However, the 18th Prime Minister's popularity quickly plummeted and was hit particularly hard by the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 1991.
With only 12% popularity in 1992 – the lowest figure in the history of a prime minister – he decided to resign in February 1993. At the same time as him, the conservative party will lose feathers.
Back to business
After retiring from politics, Brian Mulroney decided to return to a career as a lawyer.
He is also named president of Forbes Global Business and Finance, the international English-language edition of Forbes magazine.
His career earned him numerous awards, including Companion of the Order of Canada (1998) and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2002). He was also awarded the French Legion of Honor (2016).
He has been awarded several honorary doctorates, including those from the Memorial University of Newfoundland (1980), the University of Western Ontario (2007), Concordia University (2005) and Laval University (2007).
A philanthropic soul
Mr Mulroney will also be recognized for the legacy he has left to society, including outside of his political career.
As administrator of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation, he donated $500 million to this organization in early December 2023.
Two additional donations totaling $500 million also went to the University of Montreal Hospital Center (CHUM) and the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) foundations.
“I have spent a lot of time in these hospitals,” he said at the time, “and they need money and larger amounts for research. Quebecers are not doing enough, we have to get involved.”
He was also a patron of the founding committee of the Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust to promote education at the University of Oxford and was elected chief executive of Dunham House, a charity that provides care and support to people with mental health and addiction problems.
He leaves to mourn his wife and staunchest ally Mila, as well as their children Ben, Caroline, Mark and Nicholas, and several grandchildren.