Friday July 10, 1998

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday July 10, 1998

Ex-PM given top honour: Eyebrows raised among Mulroney’s detractors

Brian Mulroney was named a companion of the Order of Canada yesterday, the highest civilian award a Canadian can receive, causing eyebrows to be raised among some of the former prime minister’s detractors.

The official citation makes mention of such accomplishments as the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Acid Rain Treaty and fiscal reform during his nine years as prime minister.

Mulroney joins fellow ex-prime ministers Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, Joe Clark and John Turner as a recipient of the order.

The order was first established in 1967, and is only available to politicians after they leave office. It is not automatically conveyed to prime ministers.

Also honoured yesterday were hockey legends Jean Beliveau and Maurice (The Rocket) Richard, who were promoted to companions of the order.

Vancouver-born rocker Bryan Adams has also been given a higher rank. He becomes an officer, the second-highest rank.

The officers’ list also includes John Crosbie, a former Tory cabinet minister; Carol Shields, an award-winning novelist; businessman Martin G Oldfarb; and Margaret Norrie McCain, the former lieutenant governor of New Brunswick.

George Chuvalo, a former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion, tops the list of new members, the third rank of the order. He’s joined by Paul Beeston, former president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.

When Mulroney swept to power in 1984, it was with the largest parliamentary majority in Canadian history. He again won a majority in 1988. Mulroney resigned as prime minister in 1993, months before his party was almost completely demolished in an election that year.

When he left office he was regarded as one of the most unpopular Canadian leaders of modern history, blamed for everything from high unemployment to the further deterioration of Quebec-Ottawa relations.

More recently, he sued the federal government and won $2-million in a libel suit for naming him as a suspect in the Airbus kickback scandal.

Critics of Mulroney’s time in office said yesterday’s award was not deserved.

“He started the dismantling of the entire social infrastructure in this country, ” said Maude Barlow, president of the Council of Canadians. “It was under Mulroney that the whole policy of fighting inflation over the creation of jobs at the Bank of Canada took hold.

“I think he has a great deal to answer for and I think it’s a slap in the face of Canadians that they would give him an Order of Canada. I think it hurts the process.”

Reform leader Preston Manning quipped: “Well, at least they didn’t appoint him to the Senate.”

Mulroney was not available for comment.

The Order of Canada has had its share of controversy this year after former hockey czar and convicted felon Alan Eagleson had his designation revoked.

The members of the advisory council who accepted Mulroney’s nomination to the order include Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Lamer, Privy Council clerk Jocelyne Bourgon and deputy heritage minister Suzanne Hurtubise.

Pam Millar, a spokeswoman for Government House, defended the decision, saying his citation “speaks for itself.”

Manning conceded that governing the country for almost a decade does seem like an accomplishment worthy of an award. “Whether you like Mulroney or not, very few people get to be prime minister of Canada for nine years. I presume that’s the reason he was given this.” (Hamilton Spectator, C1, 7/9/1998)

*** Reflections on Mulroney’s Order of Canada ***

Back in 1998, when Mulroney was inducted into the Order of Canada, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow or two. Sure, he had NAFTA and some fiscal reform under his belt, (fighting to bring down Apartheid in South Africa, and being the first Canadian PM to combat Climate Change was casually overlooked in the editorial,) anyways, but let’s not forget the critics blaming him for everything from economic hiccups to strained Quebec-Ottawa relations. As a cartoonist with a penchant for poking fun at the powers that be, the situation practically drew itself.

Cue the cartoon where Eagleson, fresh off his disgrace, ironically hands Mulroney the same award he lost. A subtle jab at the questionable recipients of these prestigious medals, if I do say so myself. In the intervening years since Eagleson lost his, several more have been cut out of the recognition, including David Ahenakew, Steve Fonyo, Garth Drabinski, and Conrad Black. Fast forward to 2023, when Judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond was removed for questionable claims to her indigenous ID. Is Buffy Ste. Marie next? A few days ago Mulroney’s earthly departure finds me revisiting old sketches, casting a nostalgic light on those eyebrow-raising moments.

Every Prime Minister since Mulroney’s has received an Order of Canada, even Harper, so maybe it’s not just a secret club for the liberal artsy types. But still, not every politician gets a ticket to the medal party, and opposition leaders quietly fade into obscurity without a shiny pin to show for it. Heck, even some Canuck-born rockstars living abroad for decades boast about being part of the Order of Canada elite. Meanwhile, I’m over here, surrounded by 13 editorial cartoonist peers flaunting their bling. Yet, the mailman seems to have missed my invitation. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, am I right?

Now, enter Eagleson, the fallen hockey czar with a rap sheet longer than a Zamboni trail. From embezzlement to mishandling player contracts and disability claims, the guy played games with people’s lives and livelihoods. My cartoon showcased the irony of this character handing out medals. Life imitating art.

So, as Mulroney’s legacy dances in the shadows of controversy, and my medal collection remains disappointingly nonexistent, I can’t help but chuckle at the irony. That cartoon, with its  commentary on the tangled web of honour and critique, now stands as a testament to the enduring absurdity of it all. Cheers to the missed opportunities for a shiny trinket around my neck, but hey, at least I’ve got my trusty pen to keep poking at the pomp and circumstance. (Graeme MacKay – March 3, 2024)