Master of Persuasion: Brian Mulroney's Global Legacy

Description

Based on unprecedented access--interviews with key players, diaries, memos, etc.--the first book to document Brian Mulroney's impressive foreign policy record, from NAFTA to the collapse of the Soviet Union, climate change to the release of Nelson Mandela. Brian Mulroney led and lifted Canada's voice and influence in world affairs to unprecedented heights. Through negotiation and the deliberate cultivation of close personal links with other world leaders, there were significant achievements that serve Canadian interests to this day. Mulroney's bold initiatives on trade, the environment, and human rights turned the tradition and history of his party on its head and gave distinct emphasis to the "progressive" adjective in the party name. The pursuit of Free Trade ran completely counter to his party's history. Efforts to combat acid rain, repair the ozone layer, and to champion climate change long before it became fashionable, surprised and satisfied many of the most ardent advocates on the environment. In an even more turbulent world, Mulroney's determination to act for Canada and his strong record of achievement offer compelling lessons for the Canadian public and, especially, for Canadian leaders as they struggle to punch above their weight and make their voices heard in a world which is not necessarily waiting for "more Canada." Prime Minister Brian Mulroney understood better than many of his predecessors that Canada's power and influence derive from a solid grasp of Canada's vital national interests and a purposeful commitment to pursuing those interests and values on the world stage. This book will tell valuable stories about how Canada succeeded in advancing its national interests on trade, the environment, national security, and the advancement of democracy and human rights under Brian Mulroney's leadership. It will explore how he built "teams of rivals" both at home and abroad in pursuit of those interests, and a more prosperous, stable, and just international order, while underscoring the importance of his personal interventions and the trust and respect these reflected. Perhaps, most important of all, Brian Mulroney put to bed that long standing myth that Canada could not be a respected international player if it was seen as being too close to the United States. He showed that a "special relationship" with Washington was in fact the sine qua non to project Canada's interests and global influence. In sharp contrast to his predecessor, the path for global influence for Canada began with a principled and trusted dialogue with Washington, one that other world leaders noticed. As Canada's new Liberal government navigates its own course in choppy international waters, there is much to be learned from Canada's finest hour on the international stage some three decades ago under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

FEN OSLER HAMPSON is Chancellor's Professor at Carleton University (he earned his PhD at Harvard), a Distinguished Fellow and Director of Global Security Research at The Centre for International Governance Innovation, and a Co-Director of the Global Commission on Internet Governance. He (with Derek Burney) has been a columnist for the Globe and Mail, authored and co-authored thirty-eight books and more than 100 articles on international relations, as well as twenty-three influential reports to government. He was a finalist for the 2015 Donner Prize, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Praise for Master of Persuasion: "Master of Persuasion tells a compelling story about Brian Mulroney's important policies on the wide range of issues that were at the center of the Canadian debate during his time in office, including the vital role that Canada under his leadership played in advancing human rights and ending apartheid in South Africa." -Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada "It [is] a tonic to read an analysis from a serious scholar and practitioner that connects the dots on the Mulroney approach to Canada's global role, and the need to engage internationally in Canada's domestic and global interests. [Master of Persuasion] is simply a superb, thematically coherent, and informative overview." -Hugh Segal, Head of Massey College "I recall a few raised eyebrows when Brian Mulroney was named Canada's Greenest prime minister. Fen Hampson's meticulously researched review of Mulroney's contribution to our planet amply confirms that title. I keep waiting for a Canadian prime minister to seriously challenge his record, as I imagine Mr. Mulroney does as well." -Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada "A compelling behind the scenes examination of the extraordinary statecraft of a leader who time and again displayed that hardest of diplomatic skills-promotion of hard national interests while at the same time galvanizing historic campaigns to advance global compassion and democratic values. As revealed by international affairs historian Fen Osler Hampson, Brian Mulroney combined rare political insight with an often rollicking power of persuasion to advance objectives across a broad front." -Brian Stewart, former foreign affairs correspondent and senior fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs