The Canadian Press
1:46 p.m.
- Canada
The memory of Brian Mulroney, the “little guy from Baie-Comeau” who governed Canada from 1984 to 1993, will “obviously” be honored during a state funeral, confirmed Friday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“We are working with the family to ensure that all their wishes are respected,” he said at the opening of a press conference in Sudbury, in the north of Ontario.
Mr. Trudeau added that details may be communicated later.
“There will also be opportunities for Canadians to express their gratitude and pay their respects to the former prime minister,” he continued.
The country's 18th prime minister has died at the age of 84, his daughter, Caroline Mulroney, announced Thursday.
Mr. Trudeau emphasized that, since then, Canadians from all walks of life who knew the former prime minister and former Progressive Conservative leader have widely shared their personal memories and tributes.
“We are seeing what a remarkable man he was who shaped the Canada of today,” said the current Prime Minister.
While he could show himself as a “seasoned partisan” and “excellent politician,” Mr. Mulroney “put service to his country first before partisanship,” Mr. Trudeau continued. .
“He always had a respect for the role and responsibilities he had and a respect for those who served, even if it was in different parties. »
According to the Prime Minister, remembering this serves as a relevant “reminder” to all, in today’s context, “that politics can and must be rooted in service and respect.”
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Flags at half-mast
On Friday, the day after this announcement, members of Parliament were not sitting in the House of Commons.
The flag atop the Peace Tower flew at half-mast in tribute to the former Progressive Conservative leader. Tributes to Mr. Mulroney and his important political and personal legacy will certainly dominate when proceedings resume on March 18.
In Quebec too, the flag atop the National Assembly was lowered to half-mast to honor his memory. The President of the National Assembly, Nathalie Roy, and Prime Minister François Legault specified that the fleurdelisé will remain at half-mast until the day of Mr. Mulroney's funeral.
A family spokesperson announced that Brian Mulroney died surrounded by his family at a Palm Beach hospital, where he had been since a recent fall.
The news of his death sparked a shower of tributes, in the political world, and well beyond.
The House of Commons was debating a bill on Thursday when Conservative MP John Nater stood up to announce the news.
Brian Mulroney, a charismatic and convincing leader, led the country as head of the Progressive Conservative Party from 1984 to 1993.
In a press release, the President of the National Assembly offered, on behalf of Quebec's elected representatives, her sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the man who was Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. She highlighted Mr. Mulroney's accomplishments, including the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The Quebec population also remembers his role as lawyer within the Commission of Inquiry on the Exercise of Freedom of Association in the Construction Industry (Cliche Commission) in 1975, she noted.
Mr. Mulroney was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1998 and a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2002.
The Quebec flag was lowered to half-mast on the central tower of the Parliament Building and public government buildings, both in Quebec and abroad.