Brian Mulroney, the 84-year-old former Prime Minister of Canada who signed a free trade agreement with the United States but whose legacy was marred by revelations of improper business dealings with an arms dealer, has died. “He never stopped working for Canadians and always tried to make this country a better place to call home. I will never forget him.”
Brian Mulroney, the former Prime Minister of Canada who signed a free trade agreement with the United States but whose legacy was marred by revelations of improper business dealings with an arms dealer, has died.
His daughter Caroline Mulroney said on social media that 84-year-old Brian Mulroney was with his family and died peacefully.
According to Reuters, Mulroney said in a social media post in late August 2023 that he had undergone heart surgery in August and had been treated for prostate cancer earlier last year.
“GENEROUS, TIRELESS AND PASSIONATE”
A corporate lawyer turned businessman, Mulroney led the center-right Progressive Conservatives to a historic victory over Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals in 1984.
Pierre’s son, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, posted on social media
Brian Mulroney loved Canada. I’m devastated to learn of his passing.
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,…
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 29, 2024
A skilled politician with a gift for public speaking, Mulroney sought to emulate the conservative leanings of the Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher era in Canada by revamping the tax system and selling government assets. His nine-year administration was marked by the negotiation of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement in 1988, which helped boost Canadian exports, and the introduction of the goods and services tax in 1991. The tax was extremely unpopular politically, but it helped to reform the government’s tariffs.
Mulroney was actively involved in foreign affairs, signing an agreement with the United States to stop acid rain, spearheading efforts to combat the 1984 famine in Ethiopia, and speaking out against apartheid in South Africa.
Mulroney was born on March 20, 1939 and had four children with his wife Mila.
