Brian Mulroney tied Canada closer to the United States
Steven. Shi
Mr. E Vanee
Social Studies 11
18 July 2014
Brian Mulroney tied Canada closer to the United States On September 17th, 1984 Martin Brian Mulroney became the 18th Prime Minister of Canada (see fig1).
Fig. 1. Brian Mulroney’s first year in office (1984), he led the first conservative majority government in 26 years.1
As the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, he developed a close relationship with U.S President Ronald Regan; both men shared a similar conservative philosophy. As Canada’s Prime Minister, Mulroney sought closer ties with the United States, on issues such as trade policies and North American Aerospace Defence Command system (NORAD). During the Mulroney era, Canada saw drastic changes in economy and foreign policies; at the same time Canada gained closer ties with the United States during his time in office. Some of his notable actions during his time in office include the involvement of Canada in the SDI and NORAD during the Cold War; furthermore, Mulroney made Canada part of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. It is evident that some of Brian Mulroney’s decisions during his time as Prime Minister are somewhat controversial; however, there is no denial that Mulroney had brought Canada to a closer cooperation with the United States, “becoming the first Prime Minister of Canada who did not see United States as a threat to Canadian nationhood.”2 One general concern for Canada during the election year of 1984 was that many Canadians wanted Mulroney to achieve harmony between Canada and United States. At the “Shamrock Summit” of 1985 in Quebec City, Mulroney and his wife Mila Mulroney joined U.S President Ronald Reagan in singing “When Irish Eyes are smiling.”3 It was meant to symbolize a new era of Canadian- American harmony after years of liberal prickliness.4 However, many Canadians were reticent with the direction Mulroney was leading this country, as many believed Mulroney was immensely
Mr. E Vanee
Social Studies 11
18 July 2014
Brian Mulroney tied Canada closer to the United States On September 17th, 1984 Martin Brian Mulroney became the 18th Prime Minister of Canada (see fig1).
Fig. 1. Brian Mulroney’s first year in office (1984), he led the first conservative majority government in 26 years.1
As the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, he developed a close relationship with U.S President Ronald Regan; both men shared a similar conservative philosophy. As Canada’s Prime Minister, Mulroney sought closer ties with the United States, on issues such as trade policies and North American Aerospace Defence Command system (NORAD). During the Mulroney era, Canada saw drastic changes in economy and foreign policies; at the same time Canada gained closer ties with the United States during his time in office. Some of his notable actions during his time in office include the involvement of Canada in the SDI and NORAD during the Cold War; furthermore, Mulroney made Canada part of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. It is evident that some of Brian Mulroney’s decisions during his time as Prime Minister are somewhat controversial; however, there is no denial that Mulroney had brought Canada to a closer cooperation with the United States, “becoming the first Prime Minister of Canada who did not see United States as a threat to Canadian nationhood.”2 One general concern for Canada during the election year of 1984 was that many Canadians wanted Mulroney to achieve harmony between Canada and United States. At the “Shamrock Summit” of 1985 in Quebec City, Mulroney and his wife Mila Mulroney joined U.S President Ronald Reagan in singing “When Irish Eyes are smiling.”3 It was meant to symbolize a new era of Canadian- American harmony after years of liberal prickliness.4 However, many Canadians were reticent with the direction Mulroney was leading this country, as many believed Mulroney was immensely
Cited: 7th Floor Media. "The Prime Ministers of Canada - Brian Mulroney Issues." The Prime Ministers of Canada - Brian Mulroney Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014. . Badeaux, Guy , Mike Duffy, and Charles Gordon. Portfoolio '88: the year in Canadian caricature. Montréal: Eden Press, 1988. Print. Bothwell, Robert, Ian M. Drummond, and John English. Canada since 1945: power, politics, and provincialism. Rev. ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989. Print. Brennan, Richard. "Good U.S. relations worth ‘weight in gold,’ Mulroney says | Toronto Star." thestar.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.