Interview of the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney in Palm Beach, Fla., conducted by Tasha Kheiriddin on Feb 1, 2011.
Q: From a prime minister’s perspective, how would you describe the importance of the relationship between Canada and the United States?
The Canada-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship that a Canadian Prime Minister has to deal with, by far. First, we have this tremendous trade relationship, we have security matters, and everything from culture and the military in between. Second, other nations around the world look to our relationship because we live cheek by jowl with the Americans. They are interested in what the relationship with the prime minister of Canada is with the president of the United States. I was known as a very good friend of president Reagan, and I was able to leverage that in Canada’s interests around the world.
So it’s very important that the prime minister of Canada maintain an excellent relationship with the president, but also with the leadership of both houses, on both sides of the aisle, and with the media and interest groups in Washington. The Canada-U.S. relationship is not a one trick pony. It’s a very complicated, sensitive matter that requires direction and leadership from the prime minister himself. It’s not something he can farm out to the minister of foreign affairs on a regular basis.
Q: By 1984, the year you were elected, the relationship between Canada and the United States had become frosty, to put it politely. How did you set about to change that?
The first time I met Ronald Reagan was in June 1984, when I was leader of the opposition. I met him for 45 minutes in the Oval Office, and he was very impressive. He had a very good command of the Canadian files that I raised, everything from acid rain to protectionism to steel imports from Ontario, and it looked very promising if I could win the election, which was clearly upcoming.