By Bruce Holland, Publisher
In the nine years we have been publishing the Parkview News many of you will know I rarely write political columns. We even ask our political contributors to stick to policy and community in their columns, and I am happy and proud to say I have never had to admonish anyone from straying from that policy.
However, given we have lost one of the greatest Prime Ministers Canada has ever had in Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, I’m going to make an exception this month.
My Father was one of those guys who kept his political cards close to his chest. He was inclined to vote for the person, not the party. Having served in World War II he seemed to have a broader understanding of what Canada needed in their leaders and Brian Mulroney was a person he admired. That and the fact he was an Irish Catholic who grew up poor in a small town.
Mr. Mulroney was born March 20, 1939, in a small Quebec mining town, to Irish Catholic parents, leaving his hometown to study law at Laval University, later setting up a practice in Montreal as a labour lawyer. He lost his bid for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives to Joe Clark in 1976, but later defeated Mr. Clark and then led the party to solid majority wins in 1984 and 1988. Mr. Mulroney was both celebrated and remembered as an important advocate for the environment and for social justice. Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada, in her testimonial to Mr. Mulroney said, “His record of environmental accomplishments on climate change, on acid rain, on creating National Parks, on creating legislation, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act came in under Brian Mulroney, his record of accomplishment was extraordinary, and he absolutely deserved the title “Greenest Prime Minister”.
He inked the Canada-US Acid Rain treaty and held the World Climate Change Conference in Toronto in 1988, which has been credited with putting the issue of global warming on the international agenda. He championed the first Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Brian Mulroney stirred waves internationally by taking on then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher at Commonwealth meetings for her opposition to economic sanctions against South Africa aimed at dismantling apartheid. Mr. Mulroney and Mr. Clark, who served as external affairs minister, helped organize Commonwealth sanctions programs and won the praise of such South African figures as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.
Nova Scotia Premier, Tim Houston called Mulroney a “bold leader” who had deep roots in Nova Scotia. The premier noted Mulroney first entered the House of Commons after winning a byelection right here in Nova Scotia, in the former federal riding of Central Nova, in August 1983 and that he was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.
Like most politicians, once they are in office for a while, they start to believe they know what is best for the people. The introduction of the GST, the failure of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords, eroded not just Mr. Mulroney’s popularity, but led to his party’s electoral wipeout in 1993.
Make no mistake, Mr. Mulroney served our country well, with a grace and charm unequaled. Farewell good sir!
“May the road lie fair before you. May the wind always be at your back. May the warm sun shine upon your face. And may the good Lord always hold you in the palm of his hand!” An Irish Blessing.
