Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney has died, his family confirmed Thursday.He was 84 years old, and just three weeks away from his 85th birthday."On behalf of my mother and our family, it is with great sadness we announce the passing of my father, The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Canada’s 18th Prime Minister. He died peacefully, surrounded by family," tweeted his daughter, Caroline."We will share details of arrangements when they become available."The present prime minister, Justin Trudeau, was effusive in his praise. “He never stopped working for Canadians, and he always sought to make this country an even better place to call home. I’ll never forget the insights he shared with me over the years — he was generous, tireless, and incredibly passionate.”Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was “profoundly saddened” to learn of his passing.“I first met Prime Minister Mulroney when I was the Progressive Conservative UofC campus club president in 1992. I was just joining politics and felt inspired by his dedication to public service. He will be remembered by all Canadians for his service, and his commitment to our country,” she said on Twitter (“X”). Mulroney and his Conservatives were in power from September 17, 1984 to June 25, 1993.His governments were responsible for bringing in the free trade deal with the US and the implementation of the GST.The FTA with the US was secured during an infamous duet of When Irish Eyes are Smiling with then president Ronald Regan. In 1990 he infamously hooked George H. W. Bush by the ear while fishing.He privatized Air Canada and Petro Canada and he transferred the headquarters of the National Energy Board to Calgary. The Liberals have since renamed it as the Canadian Energy Regulator and transferred it back to Ottawa.He also managed to secure a bilateral treaty with the US on acid rain and a treaty to ban aerosols blamed for damaging the ozone layer.Despite his many accomplishments, he wasn’t without failings.Mulroney was the main proponent of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords aimed to bring Quebec into the Constitution by adding the ‘Distinct Society’ clause. The ensuing debacle led to the rise of the Bloc Québécois.He also courted controversy with his foreign policy by opposing the apartheid regime in South Africa and imposed sanctions.His response to the Air India bombing, the worst mass murder in Canadian history, also came under scrutiny for failing to bring perpetrators to justice — although they eventually were.He was also embroiled in the Airbus corruption scandal and eventually admitted to taking thousands in bribes that earned him the nickname ‘Lyin’ Brian’.Mulroney eventually became so unpopular he gave rise to a growing sense of Western alienation that gave rise to the Reform Party. He infamously accused founder Preston Manning of being the ‘architect of disunity’ on the right, which led to his majority government of 156 seats being reduced to just two under Kim Campbell in the 1993 election..Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called him ”one of our greatest-ever statesmen.” ”It was the transformational change he brought to his nearly a decade as Prime Minister that is most important. He unleashed free enterprise, crushed inflation, restored fiscal sanity and concluded one of the greatest free trade agreements the world has ever seen, which remains largely in place today. "I will always be thankful for his candid advice and generous mentorship to me personally. All Canadians are grateful for his immense sacrifice and the lasting legacy he leaves us all."Meanwhile NDP leader Jagmeet Singh praised his efforts to save the ozone layer..Former Mulroney cabinet minister Jean Charest called him an ”exceptional leader.”Added Ontario Premier Doug Ford: “Our country will miss you.”
