Former prime minister Brian Mulroney blamed the Reform Party and media coverage for the 1992 defeat of the Charlottetown Accord and told cabinet he was “astonished” Canadians rejected the constitutional deal, newly declassified records show.Secret cabinet minutes obtained through Access To Information detail the Progressive Conservative government's reaction during an Oct. 29, 1992 meeting, three days after Canadians voted against the accord.“The Prime Minister opened the meeting by commenting on the results of the referendum,” said the minutes. “He expressed surprise at the result in Québec and felt it was almost a miracle that the ‘no’ had won by a margin of only 13 points in that province.”Blacklock's Reporter said Mulroney was particularly surprised by the result in Western Canada.“He mentioned his astonishment to the vote in Western Canada against an elected Senate,” said the minutes.The Charlottetown Accord was supported by all 10 provincial premiers and every major party represented in the Commons. Among its provisions were recognition of Québec as a distinct society, an elected Senate and recognition of indigenous self-government in federal law.Canadians rejected the accord by a margin of 54% to 46%, representing a difference of about 1.4 million votes.Cabinet records show Mulroney had been confident the agreement would win public approval just months earlier.“We are tantalizingly close to a package that will be welcome in every part of the country,” Mulroney told cabinet on Aug. 12, 1992.“The emotional attachment of Canadians including Québecers has been on a steady upward climb,” he said. “Positions have softened and Canadians are ready for compromise.”Mulroney told ministers Canadians wanted the constitutional debate settled.“Canadians want this over and done with,” he said. “Our research shows they clearly reject a moratorium. They want their leaders to roll up their sleeves and make the necessary compromises.”Voters rejected the accord in the Oct. 26 referendum in six provinces. It received majority support only in Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.Following the defeat, Mulroney singled out the Reform Party and broadcasters for criticism.“The Prime Minister expressed the view that the country could survive anything, but the CBC presented a challenge,” said the minutes. “It had been especially imbalanced in its choice of speakers and commentators during the referendum campaign.”.Other cabinet ministers claimed other television networks had demonstrated similar bias.Mulroney also blamed Reform Party leader Preston Manning for helping defeat one of the accord's central proposals.“The Prime Minister indicated the leader of the Reform Party had killed the Triple-E Senate,” said the minutes.Mulroney told cabinet there would be no further attempt at Senate reform.Despite the referendum defeat, Mulroney indicated he intended to remain in the political fight, comparing his position to French military commander Ferdinand Foch, who commanded Allied forces on the Western Front during the closing months of the First World War.“In concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister stated no party worked harder than the government party,” said the minutes. “He had not expected a package this generous would be turned down.”“The Prime Minister, like Marechal Foch, will be attacking and will be around to lead the next campaign,” the minutes added.Mulroney announced his resignation four months later.The cabinet records also reveal deep concern among ministers about public anger and divisions exposed during the referendum campaign.Constitutional Affairs Minister Joe Clark said the government needed to counter the Reform Party's tactics.“The mood in the country was awful,” Clark was quoted as saying. “There was anger, anti-French and anti-native sentiment and divisions run deep.”Clark predicted Canadians might eventually look more favourably on the failed constitutional agreement.“The Minister felt the Accord would look better as time goes by,” said the minutes.Forestry Minister Frank Oberle expressed similar concerns.“The Minister of Forestry was concerned that the referendum had removed the thin veneer of tolerance in some Canadians and that the media had done the government immense harm as has some of the dissent by government members,” said the minutes.Energy Minister Jake Epp told cabinet there was resentment among his Manitoba constituents, including opposition to the accord from indigenous groups in his region.“Many Mennonites resented the Minister’s friendship with French Canadians,” the minutes quoted Epp as saying. “The natives would not tell their people how to vote.”Epp said the underlying issue went beyond the constitutional agreement.“At the core of the problem is the rejection of authority which has become a social issue,” he said..Government House Leader Harvie Andre also blamed the economic climate and news coverage.“Much of the problem elsewhere was due to the economy and to the lack of support in the media,” Andre told cabinet.Justice Minister Kim Campbell discussed the referendum campaign in British Columbia and questioned Canadians' understanding of the country's past.“She wondered whether we teach Canadians enough about their history,” said the minutes.Fisheries Minister John Crosbie told cabinet some premiers “had let the Prime Minister down,” though the censored documents did not identify them.Crosbie said voters were demanding contradictory things from governments.“The electorate was difficult and making irreconcilable demands such as more programs and no more taxes,” he said. “The Accord would have been difficult to sell whatever its content.”The Progressive Conservatives suffered a historic defeat in the 1993 federal election, falling to two seats in the Commons.No cabinet minister who attended the Oct. 29 meeting was re-elected. The Progressive Conservative Party ultimately disbanded in 2003.
