Brian Mulroney, 84
The story leading all media Friday is the death of Brian Mulroney at 84. Even his political opponents are trying to say something nice about the man who was prime minister from 1984 to 1993. La Presse has gone all out with columns about his influence, one dossier on his background and another on his initial election as prime minister, plus more. Le Devoir looks at the scandals that came to haunt him. The Journal looks at international coverage.
On CBC radio Friday morning they had some guy claiming to speak for “the Irish community” in Montreal – whatever that is – and saying Mulroney made us all proud. For myself, I think the moment Mulroney bust out into “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” with Ronald Reagan was the worst moment of political cringe I hope ever to experience.
Ian 11:55 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
NAFTA, GST, and a legacy of neoliberalism…
Though to be fair the first time I came to Montreal when I was 16 was to protest a visit by Reagan so I guess in some indirect way I should thank Mulroney for getting me to fall in love with Montreal and move here 3 years later.
Kevin 14:41 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
I will forever remember him as the guy who killed Katimavik
walkerp 15:27 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
Lots of issues with Mulroney for sure but man compare him to the Conservative party leadership today and it is night and day in terms of competence.
Kate 15:40 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
walkerp, it may be ironic, but I prefer the Conservatives to be a bunch of bumbling idiots rather than a couple of barracudas like Mulroney and Harper.
Joey 16:11 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
Hard to imagine a Conservative politician in 2024 being a global political leader on issues like environmental protection or apartheid. Don’t see a lot of bumbling idiots, unfortunately…
CE 18:24 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
It must be a generational thing that I associate killing Katimavik with Stephen Harper. I very vividly remember when Heritage Minister James Moore said it was “one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made.”
Joey 18:43 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
@CE your memory is correct, but that doesn’t mean @Kevin is wrong. From the Canadian Encyclopedia:
Katimavik was a youth service program founded by the social activist and author Jacques Hébert in 1977 and funded by the federal government. It replaced, to some extent, the defunct Company of Young Canadians, but unlike its predecessor it maintained a low political profile and remained, by and large, out of the public eye. In the winter of 1986 the Mulroney government moved to cancel Katimavik, which precipitated a 21-day fast by Hébert – who was by then a senator – in the Senate lobby. The program survived, but in 2012 the Harper Conservative government withdrew funding, effectively ending Katimavik after three and a half decades.
Kevin 20:48 on 2024-03-01 Permalink
Oh yeah, Chretien brought it back to have Harper kill it again.
Conservatives really hate the idea of Canadians getting to know other Canadians.