Readers eulogize former prime minister Mulroney, suggest a long walk in Whistler for our current PM, weigh in on 'clown cars,' and more

Re: Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84 — Feb. 29

Brian Mulroney, the 18th prime minister of Canada, carried the country proudly. He listened. He reached out to people when the chips were down. He wanted to understand. He connected with people.

Mulroney was passionate. He stood up for Canada. He was the statesman you would love to know.

Yes, the Goods and Services Tax was challenging. Mulroney said: “It is clearly not popular, but we’re doing it because it’s right for Canada. It must be done.” And yes, Lucien Bouchard was a thorn in his side. The Meech Lake (1990) and Charlottetown accords (1992) were problematic. But Mulroney persevered. He cared about Canada.

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Regardless of the political party that anyone might support, Brian Mulroney will be sorely missed.

Richard MacFarlane, Toronto

I can imagine our departed-for-the-heavens charismatic former prime minister Brian Mulroney being welcomed on the other side by “the Gipper” and “the Iron Lady.”

It was Mulroney’s spirited speeches and memorable quip to Liberal leader John Turner that “you had an option, sir” (regarding Liberal patronage appointments) that compelled me to make it to ballot box in 1984, when Mulroney crushed Turner with a landslide 211-seat win, eclipsing Diefenbaker’s 208-seat victory in 1958.

While many dreaded Mulroney’s GST (goods and services) tax, the fact is that it was at a much lower rate than the MST (manufacturers’ sales) tax that it replaced. In concert with his Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, it smashed through the walls of U.S. protectionism, bolstering Canadian exports to new highs.

Mulroney, a Cold War hawk, proposed Canada purchase eight to 12 nuclear-propelled, Arctic-capable submarines to protect its shores; however, opposition leader and then prime minister Jean Chrétien torpedoed this with his acquisition of four bargain-priced used British subs that have been plagued by breakdowns and enormous repair costs since their day of purchase.

Mulroney’s singing of “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” with ally president Ronald Reagan at the 1985 “Shamrock Summit” was most entertaining; however, his large, protracted deficits contributed to the rise of Preston Manning’s truly conservative Reform Party that, along with rebel Lucien Bouchard’s Bloc Québécois, paved the way for the inevitable defeat of his successor, Kim Campbell.

My condolences go out to Mulroney’s wife of over a half century, Mila, his daughter, MPP Caroline Mulroney, and the rest of his family.

David C. Searle, Toronto

Re: Will Justin Trudeau follow in his father’s footsteps and resign on Feb. 29? — Raymond J. de Souza, Feb. 28

The positive of this article was that prime minister Pierre Trudeau was smart enough to take the walk in the snow. The negative was that his son is too egotistical and naive to take that walk.

We know that Justin Trudeau has driven the economy of this country into massive debt (projected to hit $2.1 trillion in 2023/2024), and we know we are paying huge interest on that debt ($46.5 billion in 2024). Yet with every photo-op, he continues to make promises of more spending.

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