Canada's Takes a Turn to the Right - Brian Mulroney

Brian Mulroney rises from political defeat at the hands of Joe Clark to take the often fractured Progressive Conservative party into the 1984 general election. He goes on to a huge landslide victory over John Turner's Liberals. During the campaign, Mulroney criticizes the Trudeau era as being unnecessarily hostile towards the United States, corrupt, and free spending. Amongst other things, Mulroney promises to build a better, more harmonious relationship with America that will lead to better policy and prosperity for Canadians.

To that end, Mulroney takes on what is to become his greatest political accomplishment - a free trade deal with the United States. It is an historic achievement since other attempts to get a free trade deal with the United States have ended badly for politicians, as the country succumbs to fears of not being able to compete with its larger, more powerful neighbor, the potential loss of Canadian jobs and the fear of losing its independence.

Mulroney, though saddled with personal popularity challenges like many Canadian Prime Ministers after a period of governing, manages to win a second election giving him a mandate to move forward with the bold deal. He does so largely by giving Canadians a sense of confidence that they can and must compete if the country is going to survive and grow. His personal optimism has a lasting effect on public perception.

Mulroney's ascendancy on the world stage, which makes him at one point a rumored potential Secretary General of the United Nations, tells Canadians that their nation plays a consequential role in the world. Central to the personal respect and popularity Mulroney builds for himself amongst world leaders is his conviction that political change is based on personal relationships. To that end, Mulroney forges a close personal friendship with U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The Free Trade Agreement and the agreement on acid rain are Mulroney's key achievements based on this friendship.

Mulroney also attempted to achieve national reconciliation with Quebec over not being included as a signatory of the 1982 Constitution. He negotiated the Meech Lake Accord, which was passed in all but two provinces before falling short and then he tried again with the Charlottetown Accord, which was rejected by Canadians in a national referendum.

Mulroney further changed economic policy by instituting the Goods and Services Tax (GST). While the tax was part of a greater strategy for tax reform that would reduce personal income tax and replace the hidden manufacturers sales tax of 18%, the GST was seen as a new tax and its visibility further damaged Mulroney's popularity which was suffering from the failed constitutional conferences and the sharpened divisions that emerged.

Lucien Bouchard, a prominent member of the Quebec wing of the Conservative government headed by Mulroney defected from the party and formed the Bloc Quebecois. Conservatives angry with Mulroney over the GST and his failure to push for a more socially conservative agenda formed the Reform Party. Mulroney himself retired from politics and Kim Campbell led the Conservatives into the next election, where they were reduced to only two seats from a majority of over 150 seats.

In the recent past, Mulroney has received credit for economic reform in Canada, high marks for his work in international relations and even praise for his courage for taking on English-French relations. However, he has been negatively viewed as a result of his involvement in financial dealings with Karl Heinz Schreiber after leaving office as Prime Minister in which it appears Mulroney accepted cash monies in excess of $200,000 that remained in a safe undeclared as income for years. While there is no hard evidence that Schreiber gained influence from Mulroney, the situation is seen as inappropriate and his testimony concerning the matter has raised questions about Mulroney's honesty.



Brian Mulroney - The Boy from Baie Comeau

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/topics/1469/

Mulroney the Negotiator

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/topics/1469/

Mulroney Defeats Clark to Win Conservative Leadership

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/9796/

The 1984 Debate - A Knockout Punch for Mulroney

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/federal_politics/clips/15790/

The 1984 Election Result

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/9806/

Starting Talks for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States

http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/trade_agreements/topics/536/

1988 Election Debate Over Free Trade

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/federal_politics/clips/15792/


Meech Lake

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/constitution/clips/6774/


http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/constitution/topics/1180/



Charlottetown Accord


http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010729

The Trudeau Era

The following PowerPoint presentation takes a look at French-English relations in Canada. It will provide you with the background story which runs through the course of the events we have looked at recently in class. Click on the first link at the top of the search index you reach when clicking on the hypertext link below.


French-English Relations in Canada


Below are some of the CBC archives media that you were exposed to during our study:

Trudeau on the Campaign Trail

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/6508/

Trudeau as a Rising Political Power

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13243/

Trudeau in Retrospect on Trudeaumania

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/198/

Trudeau and His Analogy of Sleeping with an Elephant and Living Next to the United States

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13249/

Trudeau and the "Fuddle-Duddle" Comment

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/2955/

FLQ Backgrounder

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/terrorism/clips/596/

FLQ Kidnapping of James Cross

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/terrorism/clips/557/

FLQ Kidnapping of Pierre Laporte

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/clips/602/

Trudeau's Response to the FLQ - The War Measures Act

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/terrorism/clips/618/

Some Public Reaction to War Measures Act Being Used

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/clips/616/

Trudeau - "Just Watch Me"

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/clips/610/

Pierre Laporte Found Dead

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/terrorism/clips/611/

James Cross Released

http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/clips/620/

1972 Minority Government for Trudeau

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13245/

1974 Majority Government for Trudeau

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13251/

1979 Election Debate

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/federal_politics/clips/15789/

Trudeau Loses - And Announces His Retirement

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13256/

The Clark Minority Government Falls and Trudeau Makes A Comeback

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13250/

Trudeau Makes a Deal with the Provinces to Repatriate the Constitution

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/constitution/clips/6044/

Repatriation of the Constitution

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/constitution/clips/13264/


Trudeau Resigns

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13257/


Please note: The following items will help you prepare for the final exam. Ensure that you are familiar with the material below.

Mini-Unit III: Modern Canadian Issues:

1. Identify and explain at least four examples of where conflict or misunderstanding between English and French Canadians is seen in Canadian history.

2. What was the FLQ Crisis – Identify the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and be able to explain the historical significance of this event.

3. Who was Pierre Elliot Trudeau? Why was he such an important and controversial Canadian figure? Explain in detail some of the controversial political moves that Pierre Elliot Trudeau made.

4. Who is Rene Levesque? How did sovereignty-association differ from separation?

5. Explain the Quebec Referendums – When did they occur? What were they? What were the results of the referendums? Why were they significant in Canadian History?

More Review Stuff for the Final Exam

Here is a review of the items that were covered during Mr. Goto's time with us. Please review these and be prepared to go over them next class.

Unit V: Canada in the 20th Century (1900s):

1. Describe how Canadian society had changed by the turn of the 20th century?

Consider things such as:

a. Industrialization
b. Urbanization
c. Immigration

2. Who was Wilfred Laurier? Why is he an important figure in Canadian History?

3. World War I:

a. Between what years did this war take place?
b. Explain the causes that lead to the Great War and how they led to the outbreak of World War I, making specific references to country alliances in your answer.
c. What is Trench Warfare?
d. Why was the First World War such an important war for Canadians?
e. Identify the significance of the Second Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, and the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
f. Explain the effect World War I had on women and the first wave of women’s rights?
g. Explain the impact World War I had on Canada. How did it bring us together as a country? How did it tear us apart?

4. The period between the First and Second World Wars brought about many changes in Canadian society. Identify four important events or changes that occurred in the interwar years and explain their importance to Canadian society.

5. What was the Winnipeg General Strike? What year did it take place?

6. What was the Great Depression?

a. What were some causes?
b. What was the triggering event that began the Great Depression?

7. Explain how Canada’s immigrant policy has changed from prior to the 1900s to during and after the World Wars? What brought about these changes? Explain in detail.

8. World War II:

a. Between what years did World War II take place?
b. Identify some of the causes of the Second World War.
c. Identify and briefly explain at least four major events that occurred during World War II?
d. Discuss the injustices faced by Japanese Canadians after the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Include in your discussion how Asian discrimination throughout Canadian history led up to this event. Explain what happened to Japanese Canadians during the Internment years? What has happened as a result of this event?

Moving On...

Here is a recap of some of the material covered most recently. You can find the answers to the following set of questions in the Thursday, May 12,2011 blog entry. This is Pop Quiz #3, by the way...

1. Who was the leader of the Lower Canada rebellion?
2. Who was the leader of the Upper Canada rebellion?
3. What were the two major ecommendations of the Durham Report?
4. What is responsible government?
5. Draw a diagram of how government in the Canada's functioned.
6. What is the Family Compact and the Chateau Clique?

Other items for review... could be a quiz...I dunno...Happened before... Is this a hint????

Most of these, you should know... the oddball ones I have provided support for...

7.

a. Why did so many Irish immigrants come to Canada prior to the 1850s?
b. What was the Underground Railway? What did it result in?
c. Why did so many Chinese immigrants come to Canada?


Unit IV: Canada in the 19th Century (1800s -1900)


8.

a. Why was John A. Macdonald called one of the “Fathers of Confederation”?
b. What was his major project?
c. What was the Pacific Scandal?


9.

a. What province was initially at the Confederation Conferences but then pulled out of Confederation becoming one of the last provinces to actually join?

b. What year did Manitoba become a province and join Confederation?

c. When did B.C join and why did they finally agree to this?


10. What does the CPR stand for?

11.

a. What date and time was the famous last spike completed? (9:22 am on November 7, 1885)
b. What immigrant group built the majority of railway?
c. How did the railway lead to the opening of the west?
d. What effect did the opening of the west have on aboriginal groups living on the prairies?

12. Why was the construction of the CPR such an important event in the history and development of Canada? Identify and explain five reasons. (immigration from China, extension of east-west axis for trade, extends the power and influence of eastern Canada, stops American expansionism, establishes settlement patterns for the western frontier)

More on the history of railways in Canada

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006655


13. Who was Clifford Sifton? (Minister of the Interior under Wilfred Laurier)

a. What types of immigrants did he encourage to come to Canada? (Many came from Britain and the United States, but Canada also had a large influx of Ukrainians, Doukhobors, and other groups from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This was controversial. Between 1891 and 1914, more than three million people came to Canada, largely from continental Europe, following the path of the newly constructed continental railway.)

b. What were immigrants given to help them settle the west? (free land)
c. What was the experience like for many of the early immigrants that came to settle the west? (Difficult - sparsely populated, bitterly cold in the winter, constant wind stripping the topsoil)

14. Who was Louis Riel and why was he a significant figure in Canadian history?

Yes, You Guessed It...

PSSST... Pop Quiz! Yes, You Heard it Here First... POP QUIZ!!!!!

Based on today's class, you can expect a quiz on the following --

1. How does a bill become a law in Canada? Use the links below to review the basic elements for the passage of a bill. (3 marks)

http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Reference/queens-e.html

http://www.fedpubs.com/subject/law/statutes.htm

2. Explain how Canada's system of government is an example of metropolitan control. (3 marks)

See the blog entry from Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Use the definition as supplied - and then apply some critical thinking to come up with some concrete examples of metropolitanism in our system of government. Use the following topics:

• representation by population in the House of Commons







• the appointment process - who appoints the Governor General? The Senate? The cabinet?







• the "equal representation" of the Senate (see the following link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_of_Canada)

3. Explain how the railway is an example of metropolitanism where southern Ontario casts dominance over the rest of the country based on industrial production. (2 marks)

4. Who was Canada's first prime minister? (1 mark)

5. What is Confederation? (1 mark)

6. Who were the provinces that originally joined in 1867? (2 marks)

7. What were the 4 major factors that led to Confederation? (4 marks)

OK...#3 is a critical thinking exercise for the quiz. Numbers 4-6 should be obvious...If not -- look them up. Number seven bears a bit of review:

• fear of US invasion after the Civil War



• trade problems (cancellation of the Canadian-American Reciprocity Treaty - a free trade policy whereby products were allowed into United States without taxes or tariffs starting in 1854 - which was then considered to be beneficial for Canada, in 1865 by the United States, partly as a revenge against Great Britain for unofficial support of the South in the American Civil War)
  



• the railway (trade between the provinces required a railway that no one could afford by themselves)



• political problems (the Canadas - i.e. Quebec and Ontario were deadlocked. No one could form a majority government and things that needed to get done to move ahead couldn't get the political support required)

1837 Rebellions

Read the material below regarding the 1837 rebellions.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006708

We will be covering this time period...pop quizzes are a distinct possibility...

Recap and Moving Forward

In our study of Canadian history, we have reached a point where we need to review the sum total of our work. This will be helpful in our exam preparations. Answer the questions below as fully as possible. We will start going over these questions on Monday, May 9, 2011.
Unit I: The First Peoples of Canada:

1. Explain some characteristics of early aboriginal societies:

a. What does it mean when we say that aboriginals lived in a Matriarchal society?
b. What does it mean when we say that aboriginals were an “oral” culture?
c. Explain some examples of how early aboriginal cultures were governed by spirituality?

2. Who were the Iroquois? Generally what European group did they form an alliance with? Who are the Huron? Generally what European group did they form an alliance with?

3. What is meant by “First Contact” between the “Old World” and the “New World”

a. Discuss the effects or outcomes of first contact between the early Europeans coming to the “New World” and the aboriginal groups already living on the continent.

b. Explain how what happened at first contact shaped the relationship between aboriginals and Europeans in general.

Unit II: New France: (1500s – 1759)

4. Who were the Jesuits?

a.What other names were they known by?
b.What was their main goal in coming to New France?
c.Discuss how their relationship with various aboriginal groups is symbolic of

Aboriginal – European relations?

5. What is the Seigneural System?

6. In what ways was the fur trade important to the development of Canada? In what ways did it shape the course of early Canadian history?

7. What was the Battle of the Plains of Abraham

8. Identify and discuss the various factors that led to the fall of New France to the British? Why was this one of the most important events in early Canadian history?

9. Discuss why General Wolfe led a brilliant military attack on the French in the final battle for control of Canada. What mistakes did the French leader Montcalm make in this final battle? Explain the Battle for the Plains of Abraham in full detail


Unit III: British North America (1759 – 1867)

10. What was the Royal Proclamation Act of 1763 and what did it do?

11. What was the Quebec Act and what did it do?

12. Identify and explain three reasons why the people in the Thirteen Colonies began rebelling against British rule, ultimately leading to the American Revolution?

13. What was the American Revolution

a. When did it begin and end?
b. Who was it fought between?
c. What position did French Canadians take in this war?
d. What did the American Revolution result in?
e. Why was it considered a civil war?

14. Who were the Loyalists? Identify and explain four ways their arrival in Canada impacted and/or shaped early Canadian culture and life?