Dear Pierre,
Out of respect, I waited to write this until after the funeral of the late Right Honourable Brian Mulroney.
Respect. It's something that Brian Mulroney showed to everyone he interacted with, whether he agreed with them or not. That was one of the things I respected and admired about him. I disagreed with almost all of his policies at the time, but I knew that this was someone who was able to agree to disagree without making it personal. I knew that given the opportunity to discuss issues with him, he would listen to me with respect even if he disagreed with everything I said.
Even in his most fiery political oratory he always showed respect towards his opponents. One example that stands out in my mind is that iconic moment when he pointed a finger at his opponent, looked him in the eye and said “You had an option, sir.”
"Sir." Merriam Webster defines it as "a title of respect used in addressing a man without using his name." Brian Mulroney used that respectful form of address many times in that debate, as he did throughout his political career - whether addressing political friend or foe, and he did it without diminishing by one iota the force of his oratory or his ability to get his point across. No matter how politically aggressive he might have been or how vigorously he attacked his opponents' ideas or positions, he never ever made it personal.
Things like that made "the right honourable" more than just an official title for Brian Mulroney; for him, it is an accurate description as well. He was truly "the right honourable" in the same sense that some Canadians might say today that there has been only one truly right honourable Prime Minister Trudeau - the one who showed that same sense of respect and ability to agree to disagree without ever making it personal.
When I compare today's party leaders with your respective right honourable predecessors, I do not see anything even remotely resembling those qualities. Every public interaction between you comes off like a playground scrap, replete with insults and personal attacks.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes was not too far off from reality in
their depiction last fall of debate between you in the House of Commons as an 'air punch' match from across the aisle.
Pierre, you might want to ask yourself what sort of character legacy (i.e. how you are remembered for your personal qualities) you want to leave. Do you want to be remembered as someone who focused on substance and left the personal attacks to those less mature, or would you really prefer to be remembered as one of those less mature playground scrappers?
To put it another way, if you do get elected Prime Minister, do you want "the right honourable" to be nothing more than a formal title, or an accurate description as well?
Sincerely,
A Canadian looking for a grown-up in the room.
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