A remarkable man, a remarkable leader, and a wonderful friend
He passed away quite unexpectedly for most of us – only 84, a younger age in politics. While we heard he had been ill, his unending interest in Canada and the fortunes of those who followed him kept him fresh and very alive in our minds.
I knew him as one of his MPs and he honoured me with several critical tasks that I look back on with gratitude. But what I remember most is his warmth and empathy, his concern for his fellows and his way of making everyone feel included.
That, indeed, seems to be the consensus among political allies and opponents as one. You will note I don’t use the word foes, because he did not view the “other side” as foes, but as worthy opponents, people he respected and could empathize with.
Brian Mulroney was a warm and genuine, generous human being who had vision and courage. He often said near the end of his tenure that it was more important to do what was right than what was expedient. He had sincere empathy for his fellows, and he was the first one to reach out to members, friends and even the Opposition if something went wrong in their lives. He would call with that deep, warm voice of his and say, "I understand. It will pass. It happens to all of us. You will be alright." And it made you feel better. I remember because he called me with that special message of encouragement when my personal life turned upside down or a while.
He did not reserve that special care for those he knew. I remember with warmth when he pushed his way through security and a crowd outside a hotel in Winnipeg to speak to Joyce Milgaard, mother of the imprisoned and wrongfully convicted David Milgaard. She was desperately trying to get justice for her son. The Prime Minister agreed. He gave his attorney general a poke, and he did it for the right reasons. As a result, the conviction was eventually overturned, and David was set free. Brain Mulroney was never afraid to do what he saw as right.
Despite this he was vulnerable and felt things deeply. I recall the first time I saw him give a speech while I was on the platform right behind him. He was a inspired orator, seldom looking at notes (to the chagrin of his staff from time to time). He spoke so intensely that his shirt was soaking wet with perspiration. I was told later that this was a common occurrence. Mila was always close at hand with a clean dry shirt and the support and comfort he needed to get through some of the harder times leaders face.
Brian Mulroney had a wonderful sense of humour and could laugh at himself as well as the world, although he could also be devastatingly tough when needed – as a leader should be. His sense of humour extended to events that might be considered serious under other leaders. I recall in 1990 when Russian General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev came to Ottawa for meetings with Mulroney shortly after the fall of the Berline wall. Given the royal treatment, Gorbachev was unimpressed, but as the Prime Minister was escorting him to the airport for his departure, Gorbachev said he had one more question. “This is a wonderful country,” he said, “but tell me one thing. Why do you allow those prostitutes to hand around the doors of Parliament?” The “prostitutes” were staffers smoking outside the halls (as Lynn McDonald will recall), where they had recently been banished if they wanted to feed their habit. Brian thought this was hilarious as, of course, it was. And it was the kind of inside story he would regale his cause with keeping everyone feeling intimately in the know.
Brian Mulroney was never afraid to take advice. He listened to what people said, really considered it, then made his decision. Caucus meetings were the opportunity for him to hear from his backbench and he did listen, making notes, sometimes agreeing or at least acknowledging what he was told, and sometimes offering instruction to a minister to look into things.
When the Bloc was formed, one of the defectors told me that this was going to happen, "But," he said, "we won't take enough members to hurt the boss." They loved him, and he carried them along with us as part of the team. He had that ability – to carry us along as part of a team. How could we forget the Christmas parties in the Hall of Honour where, in his beautiful baritone voice, he would sing "Paper Dolly"? He treated us all as family.
Internationally, he was respected and consulted. Canada’s stature grew immensely under this leadership. I recall when he came back from a visit to Russia and told us how things really were there. “It is falling apart,” he told us. “It won’t be long now.” And it wasn’t. The Iron Curtain came down a short time later.
He also had the humility of knowing when it was time to step down and let the next generation step up. When he did this, he held a last caucus meeting followed by luncheon in the Railway Committee room where he had his favourite dish served to his colleagues: wieners and beans! That was so Brian.
Books will be written about this man who was loved and reviled at the same time. Some will be unkind and unjust, some will be overflowing with praise and accolades, but all will have to agree that he was a transformational leader who loved his country and his family and his friends. He was forgiving and non-judgmental. He was also humble in his way. He often paraphrased American Admiral Willam Halsey Jr.*, by saying, “There are no great men, only ordinary men who rise to meet great challenges.”
A giant on the world stage, a leader on issues such as the end of apartheid, acid rain, liberalized trade, modernization of taxation, accord between English and French Canada, settlements of outstanding Indigenous claims, including the formation of Nunavut . . .the list of his accomplishments was much longer than this.
Brian Mulroney was a good man. A very good man. And a very good leader.
*Actual quote Willam Halsey Jr.: “There are no great men, just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstances to meet.”
Dorothy Dobbie was the Progressive Conservative MP for Winnipeg South from 1988 to 1993.
