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124-496: Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau , Mulroney studied political science and law. He then moved to Montreal and gained prominence as a labour lawyer . After placing third in the 1976 Progressive Conservative leadership election , he
248-426: A "sacred trust" when he was Opposition leader in 1983, he began to reduce expenditures on the programs when he came into office. In terms of old age security , Mulroney's government gradually reduced its benefits at middle-income levels and above. Mulroney's government cut spending for unemployment insurance (UI) and reduced the range of workers covered by the benefits from the program. In their first budget in 1985 ,
372-517: A Progressive Conservative and a former student of his, to join the commission. Mulroney asked Lucien Bouchard to join as counsel. The committee's proceedings, which showed Mafia infiltration of the unions, made Mulroney well known in Quebec, as the hearings were extensively covered in the media. The Cliche Commission's report was largely adopted by the Bourassa government. A notable incident included
496-621: A bare majority in Mulroney's home province of Quebec. Mulroney's strong showing amongst Ontario delegates (65 percent to 35 percent) seemed to account for most of his margin of victory. A New York Times article from 1984 argued that Mulroney was elected from "the right-wing elements" within the party. Tasha Kheiriddin , writing in La Presse , argued that "Brian Mulroney's injuries to Joe Clark in 1983 took more than 15 years to heal, as various factions continued to compete for leadership roles in
620-543: A caucus may trigger a party leadership review and, if necessary, chose an interim leader, thereby making a prime minister more accountable to the MPs in one's party. Caucuses may choose to follow these rules, though the decision would be made by recorded vote, thereby subjecting the party's choice to public scrutiny. The Senate may delay or impede legislation put forward by the Cabinet, such as when Brian Mulroney 's bill creating
744-561: A government the individual most likely to receive the support, or confidence, of a majority of the directly elected members of the House of Commons ; as a practical matter, this is often the leader of the party, or a coalition of parties, whose members form a majority , or a very large plurality , of seats in the House of Commons. No document is needed to begin the appointment; a party leader becomes prime minister-designate as soon as he accepts
868-447: A major tax reform bill, Bill C-139, which was made effective on January 1, 1988. It included reforms for personal and corporate income taxes. The bill expanded the tax base for personal and corporate income; lowered rates applicable to taxable income; supplanted exemptions with credits; and removed certain deductions for personal income tax. The bill replaced the 1987 rate schedule of 10 brackets (with rates ranging from 6 to 34 percent) with
992-610: A majority of seats. Trudeau's Liberals subsequently won a plurality of seats in the 2019 and 2021 elections , leaving Trudeau with minority governments . The position of prime minister is not outlined in any Canadian constitutional document and is mentioned only in a few sections of the Constitution Act, 1982 , and the Letters Patent, 1947 , issued by King George VI . The office and its functions are instead governed by constitutional conventions and modelled on
1116-569: A majority), the prime minister can attempt to maintain the confidence of the House by forming a coalition with other minority parties, which was last entertained in 1925 or by entering into a confidence-and-supply agreement , or by winning support of other parties on a vote-by-vote basis. Because the prime minister is in practice the most politically powerful member of the Canadian government , they are sometimes erroneously referred to as Canada's head of state , when, in fact, that role belongs to
1240-581: A network of friends, including Lucien Bouchard , Bernard Roy , Michel Cogger , Michael Meighen , and Jean Bazin , that would play a prominent role in Canadian politics for years to come. Mulroney secured a temporary appointment in Ottawa during the summer of 1962 as the executive assistant to Alvin Hamilton , minister of agriculture. Then, a federal election was called. Hamilton took Mulroney with him on
1364-509: A press conference in 1982, organized behind the scenes to defeat him at the party's leadership review . Clark's key Quebec organizer, Rodrigue Pageau, was, in fact, a double agent, working for Mulroney, undermining Clark's support. When Clark received an endorsement by only 66.9 percent of delegates at the party convention in January 1983 in Winnipeg , he resigned and ran to regain his post at
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#17327760386091488-747: A remote and isolated town of the Côte-Nord region, in the eastern part of the province. He was the son of Irish Canadian Catholic parents, Mary Irene (née O'Shea) and Benedict Martin Mulroney, who was a paper mill electrician. As there was no English-language Catholic high school in Baie-Comeau, Mulroney completed his high school education at a Roman Catholic boarding school in Chatham, New Brunswick , operated by St. Thomas University . In 2001, St. Thomas University named its newest academic building in his honour. Benedict Mulroney worked overtime and ran
1612-446: A repair business to earn extra money for his children's education, and he encouraged his oldest son to attend university. Mulroney would frequently tell stories about newspaper publisher Robert R. McCormick , whose company had founded Baie-Comeau. Mulroney would sing Irish songs for McCormick, and the publisher would slip him $ 50. Mulroney grew up speaking English and French fluently. On May 26, 1973, Mulroney married Mila Pivnički ,
1736-464: A salary well into the six-figure range. In 1977, he was appointed company president. Drawing upon his labour law experience, he instituted improved labour relations, and, with commodity prices on the rise, company profits soared during the next several years. In 1983, Mulroney successfully negotiated the closing of the Schefferville mine, winning a generous settlement for the affected workers. In
1860-436: A schedule of only three brackets (with rates of 17 percent, 26 percent, and 29 percent). The bill also limited the lifetime capital gains exemption to $ 100,000; lowered capital cost allowances; established limitations on deductible business expenses; and cut the dividend tax credit. In August 1989, Mulroney's government announced the introduction of a nine percent national sales tax, the goods and services tax (GST), to replace
1984-588: A senator, and Bennett moved to the United Kingdom after being elevated to the House of Lords . A number were leaders of the Official Opposition : John A. Macdonald, Arthur Meighen , Mackenzie King, and Pierre Trudeau, all before being re-appointed as prime minister (Mackenzie King twice); Alexander Mackenzie and John Diefenbaker , both prior to sitting as regular Members of Parliament until their deaths; Wilfrid Laurier dying while still in
2108-518: A surprise victory. Mulroney became a youth delegate and attended the 1956 leadership convention in Ottawa . While initially undecided, Mulroney was captivated by John Diefenbaker 's powerful oratory and easy approachability. Mulroney joined the Youth for Diefenbaker committee, which was led by Ted Rogers , a future scion of Canadian business. Mulroney struck an early friendship with Diefenbaker (who won
2232-567: A vital role assisting him during his political career as Mulroney's Chief of Staff. In 1966, Dalton Camp , who by then was president of the Progressive Conservative Party, ran for re-election in what many believed to be a referendum on Diefenbaker's leadership. Diefenbaker had reached his 70th birthday in 1965. Mulroney joined with most of his generation in supporting Camp and opposing Diefenbaker, but due to his past friendship with Diefenbaker, he attempted to stay out of
2356-426: A voting delegate at the convention. In the leadership race, Mulroney spent an estimated $ 500,000, far more than the other candidates, and earned himself the nickname 'Cadillac candidate.' At the 1976 leadership convention , Mulroney placed second on the first ballot behind Wagner. His expensive campaign, slick image, lack of parliamentary experience, and vague policy positions did not endear him to many delegates, and he
2480-506: A witness, Mulroney refused, deeming it a violation of 'executive privilege.' Mulroney and Bourassa would later cultivate a friendship that would turn out to be extremely beneficial when Mulroney ran for re-election in 1988. The Stanfield-led Progressive Conservatives lost the 1974 election to the Pierre Trudeau -led Liberals, leading to Stanfield's resignation as leader. Mulroney, despite never having run for elected office, entered
2604-491: Is a leader of the opposition , the King must send for him." If the leader of the opposition is unable or unwilling to form a government, the governor general can consult whomever he wishes. While there is no legal requirement for the prime minister to be an MP, for practical and political reasons the prime minister is expected to win a seat very promptly. However, in rare circumstances individuals who are not sitting members of
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#17327760386092728-595: Is a list of prime ministers of Canada by their highest and lowest approval rating during their term. The approval rating system came into effect when John Diefenbaker was prime minister (1957–1963). Note: Ratings are up to date as of October 26, 2024. Legend: Conservative Liberal Progressive Conservative Note: Ratings are up to date as of October 26, 2024. Legend: Conservative Liberal Progressive Conservative The Institute for Research on Public Policy undertook
2852-753: Is a prime minister and a government in place, and exercising the right 'to encourage, to advise, and to warn'[...] Without really revealing any secrets, I can tell you that I have done all three." Two official residences are provided to the prime minister— 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa and Harrington Lake , a country retreat in Gatineau Park —as well an office in the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building (formerly known as Langevin Block), across from Parliament Hill . For transportation,
2976-451: Is appointed by the monarch 's representative, the governor general and the office exists per long-established convention . Constitutionally, executive authority is vested in the monarch (who is the head of state ), but, in practice, the powers of the monarch and governor general are nearly always exercised on the advice of the Cabinet, which is collectively responsible to the House of Commons. Canadian prime ministers are appointed to
3100-459: Is due, and that new leader is not a member of the legislature, they will normally await the upcoming election before running for a seat in Parliament. The prime minister serves at His Majesty's pleasure , meaning the post does not have a fixed term, and once appointed and sworn in by the governor general, the prime minister remains in office until they resign, are dismissed, or die. While
3224-552: Is married to stylist Jessica , and their three children served as page boys and bridesmaids during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. Mark and Nicolas both work in the financial industry in Toronto. Mulroney entered St. Francis Xavier University in the fall of 1955 as a 16-year-old first-year student. His political life began when he was recruited to the campus Progressive Conservative group by Lowell Murray and others early in his first year. Murray, who
3348-466: Is the case in the UK). There do exist checks on the prime minister's power: the House of Commons may revoke its confidence in an incumbent prime minister and Cabinet or caucus revolts can quickly bring down a serving premier and even mere threats of such action can persuade or compel a prime minister to resign their post, as happened with Jean Chrétien . The Reform Act, 2014 , codifies the process by which
3472-572: Is wrong for Canada, and I am not going to ask Canadians to pay the price.' You had an option, sir—to say 'no'—and you chose to say 'yes' to the old attitudes and the old stories of the Liberal Party. That, sir, if I may say respectfully, is not good enough for Canadians. Turner froze and wilted under this withering riposte from Mulroney. He could repeat only, "I had no option." A visibly angry Mulroney called this "an avowal of failure" and "a confession of non-leadership." The exchange led most papers
3596-493: The 1968 budget to $ 37.2 billion in the 1984 budget . By 1988 , Mulroney's government cut the deficit to $ 28 billion, though it would never decrease beyond that point and the deficit would instead increase. The Progressive Conservatives' final budget in 1993 produced a deficit of $ 38.5 billion, about the same level that it was when Trudeau left office. As a percent of GDP, the deficit was reduced from 8.3 percent to 5.6 percent during Mulroney's tenure. The worldwide recession of
3720-732: The 1982 constitutional amendments by first introducing the Meech Lake Accord and then the Charlottetown Accord . Both proposed recognizing Quebec as a distinct society , extending provincial powers, and extensively changing the constitution. Both of the accords failed to be ratified, and the Meech Lake Accord's demise revived Quebec separatism , leading to the rise of the Bloc Québécois . In foreign policy, Mulroney strengthened Canada's ties with
3844-445: The 1983 leadership convention . Despite still not being a member of Parliament, Mulroney ran against him, campaigning more shrewdly than he had done seven years before. Mulroney had been criticized in 1976 for lacking policy depth and substance, a weakness he addressed by making several major speeches across the country in the early 1980s, which were collected into a book, Where I Stand , published in 1983. Mulroney also avoided most of
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3968-557: The 2018 Ontario PC leadership race and represents the party in the provincial legislature as the member for York—Simcoe . She served as Ontario's minister of transportation and minister of Francophone affairs . She moved from transportation to being President of the Treasury Board while continuing on as the minister of Francophone affairs. Ben was the host of the CTV morning show Your Morning from June 2016 to October 2021. Ben
4092-522: The Bank of Canada began to raise interest rates in order to meet a zero inflation target; the experiment was regarded as a failure that exacerbated the effect of the recession in Canada. Annual budget deficits ballooned to record levels, reaching $ 42 billion in his last year of office. These deficits grew the national debt dangerously close to the psychological benchmark of 100 percent of GDP, further weakening
4216-592: The Canadian Armed Forces . Pierre Trudeau is often credited with, throughout his tenure as prime minister (1968–79, 1980–84), consolidating power in the PMO, which is itself filled by political and administrative staff selected at the prime minister's discretion and unaccountable to Parliament. At the end of the 20th century and into the 21st, analysts—such as Jeffrey Simpson , Donald Savoie , Andrew Coyne , and John Gomery —argued that both Parliament and
4340-533: The Canadian dollar and damaging Canada's international credit rating. Mulroney's government de-indexed personal income tax brackets and eliminated open corporate tax loopholes. The government also increased taxes on alcohol, tobacco and gasoline. In 1988, Mulroney's government reduced the corporate income tax from 36 percent to 28 percent. That year, his government increased the capital gains tax inclusion rate from 50 percent to 66.67 percent before increasing it to 75 percent in 1990. Mulroney's government passed
4464-557: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) came before the Senate, and given Canada's federal nature , the jurisdiction of the federal government is limited to areas prescribed by the constitution. Further, as executive power is constitutionally vested in the monarch, meaning the royal prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of its ministers, the sovereign's supremacy over the prime minister in
4588-666: The Privy Council and styled as the Right Honourable (French: le très honorable ), a privilege maintained for life. The prime minister is supported by the Prime Minister's Office and heads the Privy Council Office . The prime minister also selects individuals for appointment as governor general (in the federal jurisdiction) and lieutenant governor (in the provinces ), as well as to
4712-511: The Senate of Canada , Supreme Court of Canada , other federal courts , and the chairs and boards of various Crown corporations . Since Confederation in 1867, 23 prime ministers (twenty-two men and one woman) have formed 29 ministries . Justin Trudeau is the current prime minister, who took office on November 4, 2015, following the 2015 federal election , wherein his Liberal Party won
4836-597: The Western Accord on Energy with the governments of the oil-producing provinces. It permitted the full deregulation of oil prices and allowed the market forces of international and local supply and demand to determine prices. This accord abolished the National Energy Program , which was a policy of Trudeau's Liberal government that was highly unpopular in the Western provinces. The environment
4960-516: The Westminster system , the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons ; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. As first minister , the prime minister selects ministers to form the Cabinet . Not outlined in any constitutional document, the prime minister
5084-511: The peerage of the United Kingdom by King George VI as Viscount Bennett, of Mickleham in the County of Surrey and of Calgary and Hopewell in Canada. No prime minister has since been titled. The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) grants former prime ministers an augmentation of honour on the coat of arms of those who apply for them. The heraldic badge, referred to by the CHA as the mark of
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5208-461: The popular vote (compared to 53.4 percent in 1958) and led in every province, emerging as a national party for the first time since 1958. Especially important was the Tories' performance in Mulroney's home province, Quebec. The Tories had only won the most seats in that province once since 1896 – the 1958 Tory landslide. Largely out of anger at Trudeau and Mulroney's promise of a new deal for Quebec,
5332-429: The same office in the United Kingdom . In 2008, a public opinion survey showed that 51% of Canadians believed they voted to directly elect the prime minister. In fact, the prime minister, along with the other ministers in Cabinet, is appointed by the governor general on behalf of the monarch. By the conventions of responsible government , the foundation of parliamentary democracy, the governor general will call to form
5456-468: The writs of election prior to the date mandated by the constitution or Canada Elections Act ; the King–Byng Affair was the only time since Confederation that the governor general refused the prime minister's request for a general vote. Following parliamentary dissolution, should the prime minister's party subsequently win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, it is unnecessary to re-appoint
5580-881: The 1958 national election campaign at the local level in Nova Scotia. This campaign led to the largest majority in the history of the Canadian House of Commons. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier with a degree in political science in 1959, Mulroney at first pursued a law degree from Dalhousie Law School in Halifax . It was around this time that Mulroney also cultivated friendships with the Tory premier of Nova Scotia , Robert Stanfield , and his chief adviser Dalton Camp . In his role as an advance man, Mulroney assisted with Stanfield's successful 1960 re-election campaign. Mulroney neglected his studies, fell seriously ill during
5704-587: The Cabinet had become eclipsed by prime ministerial power; Savoie wrote: "The Canadian prime minister has little in the way of institutional check, at least inside government, to inhibit his ability to have his way." Indeed, the position has been described as undergoing a "presidentialization", to the point that its incumbents publicly outshine the actual head of state (and prime minister's spouses are sometimes referred to as First Lady of Canada ). Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson alluded to what she saw as "an unspoken rivalry" that had developed between
5828-407: The Canadian monarch, represented by the governor general. The prime minister is, instead, the head of government and is responsible for advising the Crown on how to exercise much of the royal prerogative and its executive powers, which are governed by the written constitution and constitutional conventions. However, the function of the prime minister has evolved with increasing power. Today, per
5952-540: The Crown in right of the United Kingdom, which has periodically bestowed such Imperial honours on such citizens) has since adopted this policy generally, such that the last prime minister to be knighted near appointment was Robert Borden , who was the prime minister at the time the Nickle Resolution was debated in the House of Commons (and was knighted before the resolution). Still, Bennett was, in 1941, six years after he stepped down as prime minister, elevated to
6076-570: The GST. Mulroney used Section 26 (the Deadlock Clause), a little-known Constitutional provision, allowing him in an emergency situation to ask the Queen to appoint eight new senators. On September 27, 1990, at the Queen's approval, Mulroney added the eight new senators, thus giving the Tories their first majority in the Senate in nearly 50 years. In December 1990, the GST was passed in the Senate and
6200-431: The House of Commons as soon as possible. For example, William Lyon Mackenzie King , after losing his seat in the 1925 federal election and again in the 1945 Canadian federal election (despite his party being elected government both times), briefly governed without a seat in the House of Commons on both occasions before winning a by-election a few weeks later. Similarly, John Turner replaced Pierre Trudeau as leader of
6324-646: The House of Commons during Question Period , other members of parliament may address the prime minister as the Right Honourable Member for [prime minister's riding ] or simply the Right Honourable Prime Minister . Former prime ministers retain the prefix the Right Honourable for the remainder of their lives; should they remain sitting MPs, they may be referred as the Right Honourable Member for [member's riding] , by their portfolio title (if appointed to one), as in
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#17327760386096448-530: The House of Commons have been appointed to the position of prime minister. Two former prime ministers— John Joseph Caldwell Abbott and Mackenzie Bowell —served in the 1890s while members of the Senate . Both, in their roles as government leader in the Senate , succeeded prime ministers who had died in office— John A. Macdonald in 1891 and John Sparrow David Thompson in 1894. Prime ministers who are not MPs upon their appointment (or who lose their seats while in office) have since been expected to seek election to
6572-439: The Liberal Party in 1984 and subsequently was appointed prime minister while not holding a seat in the House of Commons; Turner won a riding in the next election but the Liberal Party was swept from power. When a prime minister loses their seat in the legislature, or should a new prime minister be appointed without holding a seat, the typical process that follows is that a member in the governing political party will resign to allow
6696-627: The Liberals. Many Tories were also annoyed with Clark over his slowness in dispensing patronage appointments after he became prime minister in June 1979. By late 1982, Joe Clark's leadership of the Progressive Conservatives was being questioned in many party circles and among many Tory members of Parliament, despite his solid national lead over Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in opinion polls. Mulroney, while publicly endorsing Clark at
6820-467: The Mulroney government announced that Registered home ownership savings plan (RHOSP) contributions would not be deductible if made after May 22, 1985, (funds left in the RHOSP after this date could be withdrawn tax-free, "regardless of the use") and no contribution could be made after December 31, 1985; the government also announced that income earned in an RHOSP after December 31, 1985, was to be included in
6944-483: The Prime Ministership of Canada , consists of four red maple leaves joined at the stem on a white field ( Argent four maple leaves conjoined in cross at the stem Gules ); the augmentation is usually a canton or centred in the chief . Joe Clark , Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell , Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin were granted arms with the augmentation. Canada continues
7068-556: The Quebec bar in 1965, after which he began practising as a labour lawyer. He worked on Laurent Picard 's Commission of Inquiry on the St. Lawrence Ports . He was noted for ending several strikes along the Montreal waterfront, where he met fellow lawyer W. David Angus of Stikeman Elliott , who would later become a valuable fundraiser for his campaigns. In addition, he met fellow then Stikeman Elliott lawyer Stanley Hartt , who later played
7192-743: The Right Honourable Minister of National Defence , or should they become opposition leader, as the Right Honourable Leader of the Opposition . In the decades following Confederation, it was common practice to refer to the prime minister as Premier of Canada , a custom that continued during the First World War , around the time of Robert Borden's premiership. While contemporary sources will still speak of early prime ministers of Canada as premier ,
7316-434: The Tories' 1958 landslide in which they won 78.5 percent of seats). They took 211 seats, three more than their previous record in 1958 and the highest number of seats ever won by any party in Canadian history. The Liberals won only 40 seats, which, at the time, was their worst performance ever and the worst defeat for a governing party at the federal level in Canadian history. The Progressive Conservatives won just over half of
7440-687: The United States and opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa, leading an effort within the Commonwealth to sanction the country. Mulroney's tenure was marked by the Air India Flight 182 bombing, the largest mass killing in Canadian history, though his response to the attack came under criticism. Mulroney made environmental protection a priority by securing a treaty with the United States on acid rain , making Canada
7564-562: The Westminster tradition of using the title Prime Minister when one is speaking to the federal head of government directly; the Department of Canadian Heritage advises that the term Mr. Prime Minister should not be used in official contexts. The written form of address for the prime minister should use their full parliamentary title: The Right Honourable [name], [ post-nominal letters ], Prime Minister of Canada . However, while in
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#17327760386097688-465: The achievements, leadership qualities, failures and faults in office. Canadian custom is to count by the individuals who were prime minister, not by terms. Since Confederation, 23 prime ministers have been "called upon" by the governor general to form 29 Canadian ministries . Note: Click the "sort" icon at the head of each column to view the rankings for each survey in numerical order. Sequence listed by first term as prime minister. The following
7812-404: The appointments—which convention would then have required Sauvé to do. Turner did not, instead appointing several more Liberals to prominent political offices per a signed legal agreement with Trudeau. Ironically, Turner had planned to attack Mulroney over the patronage machine that the latter had set up in anticipation of victory. In a televised leaders' debate, Turner launched what appeared to be
7936-527: The board of directors of multiple corporations. Although he places above average in rankings of Canadian prime ministers , his legacy remains controversial. He was criticized for his role in the resurgence of Quebec nationalism and accused of corruption in the Airbus affair , a scandal that came to light only several years after he left office. Mulroney was born on March 20, 1939, in Baie-Comeau , Quebec,
8060-448: The campaign is best remembered for his attacks on a raft of Liberal patronage appointments. In his final days in office, Trudeau had controversially appointed a flurry of senators , judges, and executives on various governmental and crown corporation boards, widely seen as a way to offer 'plum jobs' to loyal members of the Liberal Party. Upon assuming office, Turner had been under pressure to advise Governor General Jeanne Sauvé to cancel
8184-413: The campaign trail, where the young organizer gained valuable experience. After graduating from Laval in 1964, Mulroney moved to Montreal to join the law firm Howard, Cate, Ogilvy et al. The firm at the time was the largest law firm in the Commonwealth of Nations . Despite twice failing his bar exams, the firm kept him due to his charming personality. Mulroney finally passed the exam and was admitted to
8308-469: The closing of post offices in some small towns and the elimination of certain train routes. The government also introduced fees for forwarding misdirected letters. Under Mulroney, military spending growth was reduced to 1.5 percent per year and foreign aid growth was reduced to 3 percent per year. Mulroney also put spending limits on medicare . One of Mulroney's priorities was to lower the deficit , which under Pierre Trudeau had increased from $ 667 million in
8432-410: The condition that the sum of money be used for sustainable development and social programs. At the end of the conference, Mulroney stated, "I leave this conference believing we have a better chance of saving the world than we had when we came here." Prime minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (French: premier ministre du Canada ) is the head of government of Canada . Under
8556-486: The constitutional order is thus seen as a "rebuff to the pretensions of the elected: As it has been said, when the prime minister bows before the queen, he bows before us [the Canadian people]." Either the sovereign or the governor general may therefore oppose the prime minister's will in extreme, crisis situations. Near the end of her time as governor general, Adrienne Clarkson stated: "My constitutional role has lain in what are called 'reserve powers': making sure that there
8680-474: The contest to replace him. Mulroney and provincial rival Claude Wagner were both seen as potentially able to improve the party's standing in Quebec, which had supported the federal Liberals for decades. Mulroney had played the lead role in recruiting Wagner to the PC party a few years earlier, and the two wound up as rivals for Quebec delegates, most of whom were snared by Wagner, who even blocked Mulroney from becoming
8804-645: The convention's defeat. The conference also introduced the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , which sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to an environmentally friendly level; Canada was the first Group of Seven (G7) nation to sign the treaty. At the convention, Mulroney pledged $ 260 million from Canada toward advancing sustainable development for developing nations; this included an offer to forgive $ 145 million in debts owed to Canada by Latin American nations on
8928-416: The country and Bowell the only whose funeral was not attended by politicians. John Thompson also died outside Canada, at Windsor Castle , where Queen Victoria permitted his lying-in-state before his body was returned to Canada for a state funeral in Halifax . Prior to 1919, it was traditional for the monarch to bestow a knighthood on newly appointed Canadian prime ministers. Accordingly, several carried
9052-581: The country. As his business reputation grew, he was invited onto several corporate boards. Joe Clark led the Progressive Conservative party to a minority government in the 1979 federal election , which ended 16 years of continuous Liberal rule. The government fell after a successful no-confidence motion over his minority government's budget in December 1979. The PCs subsequently lost the federal election held two months later to Trudeau and
9176-410: The daughter of a Serbian -Canadian doctor, Dimitrije Pivnički [ sr ] , from Novi Bečej . Many PC campaign buttons featured both Mulroney's face and hers, and Ontario Premier Bill Davis commented to Brian, "Mila will get you more votes for you than you will for yourself." The Mulroneys have four children: Caroline , Benedict (Ben) , Mark and Nicolas. Caroline unsuccessfully ran for
9300-451: The discovery that CFCs were burning a hole through the ozone layer . Mulroney secured the U.S.–Canada Air Quality Agreement , an environmental treaty on acid rain , with United States President George H. W. Bush in 1991. Both nations committed to reducing the emissions of the air pollutants (sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide) that caused acid rain through a cap-and-trade system. Negotiations began in 1986 when Mulroney first discussed
9424-457: The doctrines of constitutional monarchy , the advice given by the prime minister is ordinarily binding, meaning the prime minister effectively carries out those duties ascribed to the sovereign or governor general, leaving the latter to act in predominantly ceremonial fashions. As such, the prime minister, supported by the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO), controls the appointments of many key figures in Canada's system of governance, including
9548-402: The early 1990s significantly damaged the government's financial situation. Mulroney's inability to improve the government's finances, as well as his use of tax increases to deal with it, were major factors in alienating the Western conservative portion of his power base – this contrasted with his tax cuts earlier as part of his 'pro-business' plan which had increased the deficit. At the same time,
9672-521: The federal workforce by 1 percent each year from 1986 to 1991, resulting in the laying off of 11,000 federal employees. Mulroney's government transferred the costs of universal health care and higher education to the provinces, breaking the tradition of the two levels of government splitting the costs. As a result, some provinces had to drop insurance coverage for certain medical procedures and drugs. Mulroney's government eliminated subsidies to government-owned passenger rail and postal services, resulting in
9796-610: The field and youth wings." Two months later, Mulroney entered Parliament as the MP for Central Nova in Nova Scotia, winning a by-election in what was then considered a safe Tory seat after Elmer MacKay stood aside in his favour. The Progressive Conservatives only had one seat in Mulroney's home province of Quebec at the time. Throughout his political career, Mulroney's fluency in English and French, with Quebec roots in both cultures, gave him an advantage that eventually proved decisive. By
9920-834: The financial sector; Lester B. Pearson , who was Chancellor of Carleton University ; Joe Clark and Kim Campbell, who were university lecturers, Clark also consultant and Campbell working in international diplomacy and as the director of private companies and chairperson of interest groups; while Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien returned to legal practice. Former prime ministers also commonly penned autobiographies—Tupper, for example—or published their memoirs—such as Diefenbaker and Paul Martin . Historical rankings of prime ministers of Canada Surveys have been conducted to construct historical rankings of individuals who have served as prime minister of Canada. These ranking systems are usually based on surveys of academic historians , economists and political scientists . The rankings focus on
10044-728: The first industrialized country to ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity , adding significant national parks, and passing the Environmental Assessment Act and the Environmental Protection Act . The unpopularity of the GST and the controversy surrounding its passage in the Senate , combined with the early 1990s recession , the collapse of the Charlottetown Accord, and growing Western alienation that triggered
10168-438: The flash of his earlier campaign, for which he had been criticized. Mulroney was elected party leader on June 11, 1983, beating Clark on the fourth ballot, attracting broad support from the many factions of the party and especially from representatives of his native Quebec. Pundits noted that a poll of delegates on the final ballot showed that Mulroney had won a bare majority of Clark's home province of Alberta and that Clark had won
10292-400: The future prime minister by the governor general , after either the individual's political party won a general election or proposed to form either a confidence-and-supply government or coalition government. The term does not apply to incumbent prime ministers. After exiting office, former prime ministers of Canada have engaged in various pursuits. Some remained in politics: Bowell continued as
10416-454: The government lowered benefits for unemployed Canadians and eliminated benefits for the unemployed who failed to prove the reason they left their job. In 1985, Mulroney's government introduced a four-year plan to restructure family benefits. Starting in 1986, family allowances were partially indexed to the cost of living . For three years, from 1986 to 1988, the refundable child tax credits were increased to $ 549 per year. Starting in 1989,
10540-415: The governor general's invitation to form a government . A prime minister who has given intention to resign may advise the governor general on whom to appoint as the next prime minister. However, if the prime minister is resigning because he has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the viceroy is not obligated to follow that advice. Ivor Jennings wrote, "where the government is defeated and there
10664-518: The governor general, the Cabinet, justices of the Supreme Court , senators, heads of Crown corporations , ambassadors and high commissioners , the provincial lieutenant governors , and approximately 3,100 other positions. Further, the prime minister plays a prominent role in the legislative process—with the majority of bills put before Parliament originating in the Cabinet—and the leadership of
10788-503: The hidden 13.5 percent manufacturers' sales tax (MST). The government argued that the MST damaged the Canadian economy's competitiveness as it only applied to domestically manufactured goods, as opposed to the new GST, which applied to domestic and imported goods. The GST did not apply to basic groceries, prescription drugs, health and dental care, educational services, daycare, and legal aid. Following public backlash, Mulroney's government changed
10912-440: The honour both before becoming prime minister and when prime minister (the other being Lester Pearson ). The first Conservative majority victory in 26 years—and only the second in 54 years—initially seemed to give Mulroney a very formidable position. The Tories had won just over half the popular vote, and no other party crossed the 50-seat mark. He had wide discretion to take Canada in virtually any direction he wanted. His position
11036-555: The issue with then-president Ronald Reagan . Mulroney repeatedly pressed the issue in public meetings with Reagan in 1987 and 1988. Under Mulroney, Canada became the first industrialized country to ratify the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Conference experts claimed that Canada's signing of the treaty motivated the United Kingdom and Germany to pledge their support and thus avoid
11160-434: The leadership) and received telephone calls from him. Mulroney won several public speaking contests at St. Francis Xavier University, was a star member of the school's debating team, and never lost an inter-university debate. He was also very active in campus politics, serving with distinction in several Model Parliaments , and was campus prime minister in a Maritimes -wide Model Parliament in 1958. Mulroney assisted with
11284-533: The lifespan of a parliament is constitutionally limited to five years, a 2007 amendment to the Canada Elections Act , Section 56.1(2) limited the term of a Parliament to four years, with election day being set as the third Monday in October of the fourth calendar year after the previous polling date. The governor general may still, on the advice of the prime minister, dissolve parliament and issue
11408-586: The long time out of government. Mulroney included a large number of Westerners in his Cabinet (including Clark as minister of external affairs ). He was not completely successful, even aside from economic and constitutional policy. For example, he moved CF-18 servicing from Manitoba to Quebec in 1986, even though the Manitoba bid was lower and the company was better rated. Mulroney also received death threats for exerting pressure on Manitoba over French language rights. Despite Mulroney referring to social programs as
11532-464: The modern practice is such that the federal head of government is known almost exclusively as the prime minister , while the provincial and territorial heads of government are termed premiers (in French, premiers are addressed as premier ministre du [province] , literally translated as prime minister of [province] ). The prime minister–designate of Canada is the person who has been designated as
11656-505: The most. In 1992, the government replaced family allowances with a new Child Tax Benefit that included the family allowance, the Refundable Child Tax Credit, and a non-refundable child tax credit. The new benefit paid a maximum of $ 85 per month per child up to the age of 18 and was tax-free. It was income-tested on the net family income reported in the preceding year's income tax returns. Mulroney's government reduced
11780-758: The national debt would have increased significantly. Mulroney's government privatized many of Canada's crown corporations . In 1984, the Government of Canada held 61 crown corporations. Under Mulroney, it sold off 23 of them, including Air Canada , which was completely privatized by 1989, although the Air Canada Public Participation Act continued to make certain requirements of the airline. Mulroney's government also privatized Connaught Laboratories in 1984 through two public issues (one in 1984 and one in 1987) and Petro-Canada in 1991. On June 1, 1985, Mulroney's government negotiated
11904-421: The next day, with most of them paraphrasing Mulroney's counterattack as "You had an option, sir—you could have said 'no.'" Many observers believe that at this point, Mulroney assured himself of becoming prime minister. On September 4, Mulroney and the Tories won the second largest majority government (in terms of percentage of seats) in Canadian history, winning 74.8 percent of seats in the House of Commons (behind
12028-569: The owner's taxable income, effectively ending the last desirable feature of RHOSPs. In 1990, the government limited cost-sharing under the Canada Assistance Plan in three provinces in response to their concerns that unemployed workers would apply for cost-shared provincial social assistance (as a result of rising unemployment). Also in 1990, Mulroney's government eliminated its financial contribution to UI, making all UI costs covered by worker and employer contributions. In Spring 1993,
12152-514: The polls to take a lead after trailing by more than 20 percentage points. Only four days after being sworn in as prime minister, Turner called a general election for September . But the Liberal election campaign machinery was in disarray, leading to a weak campaign. In the early days of the campaign, Mulroney made several gaffes regarding patronage, including the reference to Ambassador Bryce Mackasey as "there's no whore like an old whore". Most of
12276-447: The post; and Charles Tupper , Louis St. Laurent , and John Turner, each before they returned to private business. Meighen was also appointed to the Senate following his second period as prime minister, but resigned his seat to seek re-election and moved to private enterprise after failing to win a riding. Also returning to civilian life were: Robert Borden, who was Chancellor of Queen's and McGill Universities , as well as working in
12400-641: The prefix Sir before their name; of the first eight prime ministers of Canada, only Alexander Mackenzie refused the honour of a knighthood from Queen Victoria. Following the 1919 Nickle Resolution , however, the House of Commons declared that it should be against the policy of the Canadian Sovereign (and the Canadian government advising the Monarch when such honours are not within the Monarch's personal gift) to bestow aristocratic or chivalric titles to Canadians. The Crown in right of Canada (but not
12524-431: The prime minister and the Crown. It has been theorized that such is the case in Canada as its Parliament is less influential on the executive than in other countries with Westminster parliamentary systems ; particularly, Canada has fewer MPs, a higher turnover rate of MPs after each election, and a US-style system for selecting political party leaders, leaving them accountable to the party membership rather than caucus (as
12648-431: The prime minister is afforded an armoured car (a car allowance of $ 2,000 per year) and shared use of two official aircraft —a CC-150 Polaris for international flights and a Challenger 601 for domestic trips. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also furnish constant personal security for the prime minister and their family. All of the aforementioned is provided through budgets approved by Parliament. As of April 2024,
12772-406: The prime minister or for the prime minister to retake the oath of office. If, however, an opposition party wins a majority of seats, the prime minister may resign or choose to meet Parliament to see if the incumbent government can win a confidence vote. Should the prime minister's party achieve a minority while an opposition party wins a plurality (i.e., more seats than any other party but less than
12896-498: The prime minister to run in the resulting by-election. A safe seat is usually chosen; while the Liberal and Conservative parties generally observed a practice of not running a candidate against another party's new leader in the by-election, the New Democratic Party and smaller political parties typically do not follow the same practice. However, if the governing party selects a new leader shortly before an election
13020-576: The prime minister's annual salary is $ 406,200 (consisting of an MP's salary of $ 203,100 and the prime minister's additional salary of $ 203,100). Serving or former prime ministers are accorded a state funeral , wherein their casket lies in state in the Centre Block of Parliament Hill. Only Bowell and the Viscount Bennett were given private funerals, Bennett also being the only former prime minister of Canada to die and be buried outside
13144-550: The province swung over dramatically to support him. The Tories had only won one seat out of 75 in 1980 but took 58 seats in 1984. Mulroney yielded Central Nova back to MacKay and instead ran and won in the eastern Quebec riding of Manicouagan , which included Baie-Comeau. In 1984, the Canadian Press named Mulroney " Newsmaker of the Year " for the second straight year, making him only the second prime minister to have received
13268-648: The revelation that the controversy may have involved the office of the Premier of Quebec when it emerged that Paul Desrochers, Bourassa's special executive assistant, had met with the union boss André Desjardins , known as the "King of Construction," to ask for his help with winning a by-election in exchange guaranteeing that only companies employing workers from his union would work on the James Bay project. Although Bouchard favoured calling in Robert Bourassa as
13392-568: The rise of the Reform Party , caused a stark decline in Mulroney's popularity, which induced him to resign and hand over power to his cabinet minister Kim Campbell in June 1993. In the election later that year , the Progressive Conservatives were reduced from a majority government of 156 seats to two, with its support being eroded by the Bloc and Reform parties. In his retirement, Mulroney served as an international business consultant and sat on
13516-452: The spotlight. With Camp's narrow victory, Diefenbaker called for a 1967 leadership convention in Toronto. Mulroney joined with Joe Clark and others in supporting former Justice minister E. Davie Fulton . Once Fulton dropped off the ballot, Mulroney helped in swinging most of his organization over to Robert Stanfield , who won. Mulroney, then 28, would soon become a chief adviser to the new leader in Quebec. Mulroney's professional reputation
13640-534: The start of 1984, as Mulroney began learning the realities of parliamentary life in the House of Commons, the Tories took a substantial lead in opinion polling. It was almost taken for granted that Trudeau would be heavily defeated by Mulroney in the general election due no later than 1985. Trudeau announced his retirement in February and was succeeded as Liberal leader and prime minister by his former finance minister, John Turner , in June. The Liberals then surged in
13764-510: The start of a blistering attack on Mulroney by comparing his patronage machine to that of the old Union Nationale in Quebec. Mulroney successfully turned the tables by pointing to the recent raft of Liberal patronage appointments. He demanded that Turner apologize to the country for making "these horrible appointments." Turner replied that, "I had no option" except to let the appointments stand. Mulroney famously responded: You had an option, sir . You could have said, 'I am not going to do it. This
13888-423: The tax credits were partially indexed in the same manner as family allowances. That same year, as part of the government's program to target social benefits to low or middle-income Canadians, universal family allowances ended as high-income parents were required to repay all of their benefits at tax-filing time. This system maintained and increased a tax deduction for childcare expenses, benefiting high-income families
14012-431: The tax rate to seven percent. Although the government argued the tax was not a tax increase, but a tax shift, the highly visible nature of the tax was extremely unpopular, and many polls showed that as many as 80 percent of Canadians were opposed to the tax. Two Progressive Conservative MPs from Alberta, David Kilgour and Alex Kindy , left the party in protest of the tax. The Senate with a Liberal majority refused to pass
14136-479: The wake of his loss in the 1976 leadership race, Mulroney battled alcohol abuse and depression for several years; he credits his loyal wife Mila with helping him recover. In 1979, he permanently became a teetotaller. During his IOC term, he made liberal use of the company's executive jet, frequently flying business associates and friends on fishing trips. Mulroney also maintained and expanded his extensive political networking among business leaders and conservatives across
14260-542: The winter term, was hospitalized, and, despite getting extensions for several courses because of his illness, left his program at Dalhousie after the first year. He then applied to Université Laval in Quebec City and continued his legal studies there later in 1960. In Quebec City , Mulroney befriended future Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson Sr. and frequented the provincial legislature, making connections with politicians, aides, and journalists. At Laval, Mulroney built
14384-683: Was a key focus of Mulroney's government. His government added eight new national parks (including Bruce Peninsula and South Moresby ), and passed the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Canadian Environmental Protection Act . In 1987, Mulroney hosted an international climate conference in Montreal , Quebec. There, 46 nations signed the Montreal Protocol to limit the use and production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); this agreement came after
14508-605: Was appointed president of the Iron Ore Company of Canada in 1977. He held that post until 1983 , when he became leader of the Progressive Conservatives . He led the party to a landslide victory in the 1984 federal election , winning the second-largest percentage of seats in Canadian history (at 74.8 percent) and receiving over 50 percent of the popular vote. He later won a second majority government in 1988 . Mulroney's tenure as prime minister
14632-486: Was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1979, became Mulroney's close friend, mentor, and adviser. Mulroney made other important, lasting friendships with Gerald Doucet , Fred Doucet , Sam Wakim , and Patrick MacAdam . Mulroney enthusiastically embraced political organization and assisted the local PC candidate in his successful 1956 Nova Scotia provincial election campaign; the PCs, led provincially by Robert Stanfield , won
14756-544: Was far more precarious than his parliamentary majority would suggest. Mulroney's support was based on a grand coalition of socially conservative populists from the West, Quebec nationalists , and fiscal conservatives from Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Such diverse interests became difficult for him to juggle. Most of Mulroney's ministers had little government experience, resulting in conflicts of interest and embarrassing scandals. Many Tories expected patronage appointments due to
14880-491: Was further enhanced when he ended a strike that was considered impossible to resolve at the Montreal newspaper La Presse . In doing so, Mulroney and the paper's owner, Canadian business mogul Paul Desmarais , became friends. After his initial difficulties, Mulroney's reputation in his firm steadily increased, and he was made a partner in 1971. Mulroney's big break came during the Cliche Commission in 1974, which
15004-565: Was made effective on January 1, 1991. Mulroney's use of an "emergency" clause in the constitution was controversial and contributed to his decline in popularity. One of the causes of the early 1990s recession was several tax increases instituted by Mulroney's government between 1989 and 1991. The introduction of the goods and services tax and increases related to excise and payroll taxes were modelled to have reduced real GDP growth by 1.6, 2.4 and 5.1 percentage points in 1990, 1991 and 1992, respectively. Had these tax increases had not been implemented,
15128-504: Was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement , the goods and services tax (GST) that was created to replace the manufacturers' sales tax, and the privatization of 23 of 61 Crown corporations including Air Canada and Petro-Canada . However, he was unsuccessful in reducing Canada's chronic budget deficit . Mulroney sought Quebec's endorsement of
15252-484: Was set up by Quebec premier Robert Bourassa to investigate the situation at the James Bay Project , Canada's largest hydroelectric project. Violence and dirty tactics had broken out as part of a union accreditation struggle. To ensure the commission was non-partisan, Bourassa, the Liberal premier, placed Robert Cliche, a former leader of the provincial New Democratic Party in charge. Cliche asked Mulroney,
15376-449: Was unable to build upon his base support, being overtaken by eventual winner Joe Clark on the second ballot. Mulroney was the only one of the eleven leadership candidates who did not provide full financial disclosure on his campaign expenses, and his campaign finished deeply in debt. Mulroney took the job of executive vice president of the Iron Ore Company of Canada , a joint subsidiary of three major U.S. steel corporations. Mulroney earned
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