Maritime Morning - Andrew Krystal

Brian Mulroney’s anti-Trudeau outburst preceding the launch of his new biography follows the same trajectory of bitterness and recrimination that we have heard so many times before.

Trudeau, perceived by many to be the great spoiler of the Mulroney constitutional accords, has been attacked by Mulroney in interviews as being anti-Semitic, a fascist flirt, and a lazy, indolent, globe-trotting rich kid. Surprisingly, given Mulroney’s hard-scrabble roots, it was the class issue regarding Trudeau that probably irked him the most.

The attempt to diminish Trudeau through his youthful flights of fascist fancy has fallen upon deaf ears. How Trudeau governed himself and led the country as an adult is what counts. No one gives a damn if he inhaled either.

With Mulroney it is style over substance; while his substance is substantial and transformational: free trade (which many view to be economically positive), the GST (proven to be a federal coffers cash cow), the failed Meech Lake accords (seen retrospectively to be not much of a Quebec compromise at all and something that maybe even should have passed), his style was not positive: grating, phony, condescending, over-controlled, stilted, and considered by many to be too much of an American boot-kisser.

The public’s Mulroney disdain seemed to be almost incommensurate with the man himself. It is almost as if the style of the man meant more somehow. Maybe it always does. But with Mulroney there was something people really didn’t like.

Chrétien is best remembered for lying about the GST, same sex marriage, and saying no to Bush on Iraq — not very impressive for so many years in power. But Chrétien is hated less.

The reason, I suspect, has more to with Mulroney’s continentalism – a connectedness to the U.S. both in terms of trade and in terms of a cultural affinity adorned by his well-worn coziness with Regan and George H. W. Bush.

Canadians just don’t like Presidents, Republican ones especially, to be too comfy with our PMs. We fear a sell out.

And while free trade has been positive in the short term, we still may find it hard to keep our fresh water under the terms of the agreement.

History has yet to judge on the real impact of free trade yet. But it seems to have made up its mind on Mulroney. He was successful, despite himself.