Ultimate statesman
In Ottawa, every politician found something to like about Canada’s 18th prime minister
“(Mulroney) was himself a minority. He was anglo in Quebec while I was franco in the rest of the land. And, you know, it was possible coming from rural Quebec to move up the ladder to be prime minister of Canada, as he was, and a very successful one.”
Jean Chrétien
Former Liberal prime minister
OTTAWA — The House of Commons suddenly adjourned to mark the death of former prime minister Brian Mulroney on Thursday evening, so the foyer that usually bustles with reporters was cavernous and nearly deserted when 90-year-old Jean Chrétien walked to the mic to remember the man who governed Canada before him.
When news broke about Mulroney’s death, statements from politicians, staffers and sorrowful Canadians streamed across social media timelines. Chrétien’s decision to unexpectedly appear in front of half a dozen reporters and deliver a tribute in person, just as he had done after former NDP leader Ed Broadbent’s death last month, was a statement on its own.
“He was prime minister for two long terms and I was an opponent of him all my political career. But in politics, opposition is opposition. It’s like playing hockey, you can fight on the ice, but you have a beer together after that,” said Chrétien.
Chrétien said he enjoyed jousting with Mulroney in the House of Commons and that they enjoyed teasing each other, even though they had “terrible disagreements” on the issues. Most importantly, Chrétien said, they both took the job of prime minister seriously, but didn’t take themselves too seriously, which allowed a friendship to flourish.
“He was himself a minority. He was anglo in Quebec while I was franco in the rest of the land. And, you know, it was possible coming from rural Quebec to move up the ladder to be prime minister of Canada, as he was, and a very successful one,” said Chrétien.
The cascade of tributes from past and present politicians on Thursday also showed the extent of Mulroney’s willingness to offer advice and support to the political leaders that came after him.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would “never forget the insights he shared with me over the years” and his deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland said she enjoyed his “wise counsel” during Canada’s fractious NAFTA negotiations in 2018.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he “will always be thankful for his candid advice and generous mentorship to me personally.”
And, in December, when Liberal MP Anthony Housefather endured a torrent of antisemitism caused by his support of Israel in its war against Hamas, Mulroney called him to offer support.
“Brian Mulroney took the time to call me and encourage me. That was the kind of man he was. He cared about people,” said Housefather, on X.
A public figure’s death always becomes something of a Rorschach test, with people seeing their political hopes and dreams in a departed leader, but no one quite fits that role like Mulroney, who governed under a Progress Conservative banner and made strides on the environment and free trade and presided over the end of the Cold War.
Politicians on the left, including Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and former Environment Minister Catherine Mckenna, extolled his record on the environment, including the winning battle against acid rain.
Political leaders on the right, including Poilievre and former Justice Minister Peter Mackay, harkened back to his extraordinary first election victory when he won 211 seats, the most in Canadian history.
Asked repeatedly what Mulroney’s biggest accomplishment was, or what he would be remembered for, Chrétien declined to answer, instead choosing to remember the man himself and their private conversations. On the topic of political legacies, Chrétien said he was philosophical about it.
“You know, people ask me what I’d like to be remembered for and we should not worry about it. History will write what we’ve done and we should not worry about it. Anyway, we will not be able to read about, it” said Chrétien.