Brian Mulroney, former Canadian prime minister, dead at 84

globalnews.ca:

Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney has died at the age of 84.

Mulroney’s daughter Caroline announced his death in a social media post on X, saying, “The country’s 18th prime minister died peacefully and surrounded by family.”

Born in Baie-Comeau, QC., in 1939, Mulroney would go on to build a political career marked by his leadership of the at-times fractious coalition of Western conservatives, Red Tories and Quebec nationalists that made up the old centrist Progressive Conservative Party, and a legacy of securing the original NAFTA trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico as well as passing the goods and service tax into law.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “devastated” to learn of Mulroney’s passing.

“Brian Mulroney loved Canada,” he wrote in a statement on X.

“He never stopped working for Canadians, and he always sought to make this country an even better place to call home. I’ll never forget the insights he shared with me over the years – he was generous, tireless, and incredibly passionate.

“As we mourn his passing and keep his family and friends in our thoughts, let us also acknowledge – and celebrate – Mr. Mulroney’s role in building the modern, dynamic, and prosperous country we all know today,” Trudeau added.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Mulroney “one of our greatest ever statesmen” and paid condolences to his family.

“I will always be thankful for his candid advice and generous mentorship to me personally,” Poilievre said in a statement. “All Canadians are grateful for his immense sacrifice and the lasting legacy he leaves us all.”

The House of Commons adjourned early Thursday night upon news of Mulroney’s death.

Mulroney is survived by his wife, Mila, and four children. Caroline