Former prime minister Brian Mulroney said that attending the funeral of former U.S. president George H.W. Bush was 鈥渂ittersweet鈥� and that Canada has 鈥渓ost a big friend.鈥�
Mulroney eulogized his close friend and confidant during a funeral service at Washington鈥檚 National Cathedral on Wednesday. He told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that while the loss of the 41st president made him 鈥渟ad,鈥� he was certain that Bush was happy to be reunited with his late wife, Barbara, who died in April, and their daughter Robin, who died from leukemia in 1953 when she was three years old.
鈥淲hen George was president of the United States, big things happened for Canada and with Canada,鈥� Mulroney said, adding, 鈥淚 hope this can be recaptured.鈥�
In his emotional eulogy, the former prime minister hailed many of his old friend鈥檚 domestic accomplishments, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. But he also drew attention to a number of the initiatives that the pair worked on together, including the 1991 acid-rain accord and NAFTA, which Mulroney said helped to usher in 鈥渢he largest and richest free-trade area in the history of the world.鈥�
He acknowledged that the 鈥渞elationship of trust鈥� that has traditionally characterized the U.S.-Canada relationship has been 鈥渄amaged鈥� recently, given the acrimonious renegotiation of NAFTA and President Donald Trump鈥檚 levying of tariffs on Canada鈥檚 steel and aluminum exports.
鈥淚 was privileged,鈥� said Mulroney, whose tenure as prime minister overlapped with the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, Bush and Bill Clinton. 鈥淚t was much easier for me than it is for the prime minister today.鈥�
He cited an instance in the summer of 1990, when he told Bush at his family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, that while Canada agreed with his plans to go to war in the Middle East to expel Iraq from Kuwait, the country would not support the mission unless the United States sought a resolution authorizing the use of force from the United Nations Security Council.
鈥淚 said, 鈥楥anada is not a superpower and we work multilaterally and the UN is a major part of that puzzle for us,鈥欌�� Mulroney recounted.
Instead of being offended, Bush agreed and told his administration to seek UN approval.
鈥淗e took criticism, he took advice and he knew how to act on it and to act on it in Canada鈥檚 favour,鈥� Mulroney said.
He added that he remains hopeful that Canada-U.S. ties can 鈥渂e revived and even improved upon.鈥�
The trick is for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to use the 鈥渋nterpersonal skills鈥� with which he has been 鈥済ifted鈥� in his dealings with Washington, Mulroney said.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a pessimist about it, but I鈥檓 a realist,鈥� Mulroney said. 鈥淚 know that if you want to get big things done in the world, you want to have the U.S. president in your camp.鈥�
He also dismissed criticisms of Trudeau for signing the new Canada-United-States-Mexico Agreement without first getting the steel and aluminum tariffs lifted.
鈥淚 think that of course he did the right thing by signing it,鈥� Mulroney said of Trudeau. 鈥淎nd I can bet you a dollar to a doughnut that those sanctions are going to go away.鈥�
Mulroney also remembered Bush as a good father and a close friend.
In an interview with CTV鈥檚 Omar Sachedina on CTV National News, Mulroney said he had many fond memories of fishing with Bush across Canada, and in the Northwest Territories in particular, as well as of nearly four decades of visiting Kennebunkport with his family.
During one particular visit, Mulroney recalled watching Bush take his son Mark Mulroney out onto the rocks when the tide had gone out.
When Mark came back inside, his father asked him 鈥渨hat the hell did you say to President Bush to get him to take you out there on the rocks鈥� and learned that Mark was curious about how the tides come in and why they go out.
鈥淪o the President of the United States walks off the porch with a nine-year-old kid鈥 mean are you kidding me?鈥� said Mulroney, who added that this was evidence of Bush鈥檚 鈥渁ffection for his children and for any child that comes into his life.鈥�
