When Brian Mulroney passed away in early 2024, the flood of tributes felt a little jarring to anyone who remembers the early '90s. Back then, he was arguably the most hated man in Canada. His approval ratings had tanked to about 12 percent—lower than almost any world leader in modern history. People were screaming at him in the streets over a new tax, and his party was about to be basically wiped off the map.
But history is funny that way.
Now that the dust has settled, we're looking at a guy who fundamentally rebuilt the Canadian economy. Whether you love him or hate him, the Canada you live in today is the one Mulroney built. He wasn't just a "manager" of the status quo. He was a wrecking ball who swung at the old ways of doing things, for better or worse.
The Trade Deal That Changed Everything
Most people know Brian Mulroney for the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It seems normal now, right? We buy stuff from Amazon, and parts move across the border like they’re going across the street. But in 1988, this was war.
The opposition claimed Canada would become the 51st state. They said our water would be sucked dry by Americans and our culture would vanish. Mulroney bet his entire career on it. He won a second majority government specifically on this issue.
Honestly, it's hard to overstate how much this shifted our DNA. He took a country that was traditionally protectionist—hiding behind tariffs and high prices—and forced it to compete on the world stage. Later, he doubled down with NAFTA, bringing Mexico into the fold. If you work in manufacturing, tech, or even agriculture today, your paycheck is likely tied to the gears he set in motion back then.
That "Evil" 7% Tax
Talk to anyone over 50 about Mulroney and they’ll probably mention the GST.
Before 1991, Canada had a hidden tax called the Manufacturers' Sales Tax (MST). It was 13.5 percent, and it was killing exports because it was baked into the price of everything we made. Mulroney decided to kill the MST and replace it with a visible 7 percent Goods and Services Tax.
People lost their minds.
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There were protests, filibusters, and literal shouting matches in the Senate. Mulroney even had to use a weird, "break glass in case of emergency" constitutional clause to appoint eight extra senators just to get the bill passed. It was a political suicide mission.
Here’s the kicker: when the Liberals took over in 1993, they promised to axe the tax. They didn't. Why? Because it worked. It provided a stable stream of revenue that helped the next government finally balance the books. We still pay it today (though it's 5 percent now), and it remains the backbone of federal finances.
The Greenest Prime Minister?
This is the part that surprises people the most. In 2006, a group of environmental organizations actually named Mulroney the "Greenest Prime Minister" in Canadian history.
Why? Two words: Acid rain.
In the '80s, forests were dying and lakes were turning into vinegar because of sulfur dioxide emissions. Mulroney didn't just give a speech; he hounded U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush until they signed the Air Quality Agreement in 1991. He also pushed through the Montreal Protocol to save the ozone layer.
He didn't see the environment as a "left-wing" issue. To him, it was just common sense. You can’t have a business if the planet is on fire or the water is toxic.
The Fight Against Apartheid
While he was getting cozy with the Americans on trade, Mulroney was throwing hands with Margaret Thatcher on the world stage over South Africa.
Thatcher and Reagan were hesitant to impose sanctions on the apartheid regime. Mulroney wasn't. He led the Commonwealth in a massive push to isolate the South African government. He was a personal friend to Nelson Mandela, who later thanked Mulroney for being one of the few Western leaders who actually walked the walk when it mattered.
It's a weird contrast. Domestically, he was seen as a corporate "blue-blood," but internationally, he was a human rights crusader.
Why the Constitutional Stuff Failed
If there was a "Great White Whale" for Brian Mulroney, it was Quebec.
He desperately wanted to bring Quebec into the constitutional fold with "honour and enthusiasm." He tried twice: once with the Meech Lake Accord and again with the Charlottetown Accord. Both times, they collapsed.
Meech Lake failed partly because of a lone Manitoba MLA named Elijah Harper, who held up a feather in the legislature to protest the lack of Indigenous consultation. The failure of these deals led directly to the rise of the Bloc Québécois and the 1995 referendum that almost broke Canada apart.
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Mulroney was a deal-maker, but the Constitution was the one deal he couldn't close. It haunted him for the rest of his life.
The Airbus Shadow
We can't talk about Mulroney without mentioning the "inappropriate" stuff. After he left office, he was caught up in the Airbus affair—allegations that he took envelopes of cash from a lobbyist named Karlheinz Schreiber.
He eventually admitted to taking $300,000 in cash in hotel rooms, though he maintained it was for legal lobbying work after he was PM. A public inquiry later called his conduct "inappropriate," and it left a permanent smudge on his reputation. It's the reason why, for many years, he stayed out of the spotlight.
Actionable Takeaways: Learning from the Mulroney Era
If you're looking at Brian Mulroney's life to understand how power works, here’s what you should take away:
- Long-term vs. Short-term: Mulroney proved that doing the right thing for the economy (like the GST or Free Trade) is often political poison in the short term. True leadership usually requires a thick skin.
- Relationship Building: He was a master of the "Irish charm." He used his personal relationship with U.S. presidents to get things done for Canada. In business and politics, the person-to-person connection usually trumps the paperwork.
- The Cost of Compromise: His attempts to please everyone on the Constitution ended up pleasing no one. Sometimes, "big tent" politics can collapse under its own weight.
To really get the full picture, you should look into the 1988 "Free Trade Election" debates. They are a masterclass in political theater and show exactly how high the stakes were. You might also want to read his memoirs, though keep in mind they’re written by a man very conscious of his own place in history.
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Brian Mulroney wasn't a saint, and he wasn't a villain. He was a big-personality leader who swung for the fences. Sometimes he hit a home run; sometimes he struck out and broke the bat. But Canada is undoubtedly a more modern, globalized country because he was in the room.