born March 20, 1939, Baie-Comeau, Que., Can.
Prime minister of Canada (198493).
The son of an electrician in a paper-and-pulp town, he grew up bilingual in English and French. He began practicing law in Montreal in 1965. In 1974 he served on a commission to investigate crime in Quebec's construction industry. From 1977 to 1983 he was president of the Iron Ore Company. Elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1983, he became prime minister when the party defeated the Liberals in the general election in 1984. Creating a coalition of Quebec nationalists and western conservatives, he advocated unification while recognizing Quebec as a "distinct society." He sought U.S. cooperation on acid rain and trade policies and helped negotiate NAFTA . He retired from politics in 1993.
Brian Mulroney, 1993.
Rick Friedman/Black Star