In 2007, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney published an extensive memoir. At 1,121 pages, it can barely fit in an airplane carry-on box.
But there was a surprising omission in that volume. The controversy that haunted him for years and damaged his reputation above all else – the Airbus scandal – and the receipt of an envelope stuffed with at least $225,000 in cash from German-Canadian lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber. There was no mention of the controversy.
But Mulroney does make a less obvious mention of Airbus on the book's acknowledgments page. He cited “facing the horror of false allegations” by the Liberal government. “The extraordinary violation of people's rights and the attempt to destroy Canada's former prime minister will be the subject of another book at another time,” he said.
Few people know, but Mulroney, who died in February, did indeed write that book. Not published yet. It may never be published. To me, the film has been described as a score-settling epic that attempts to clear his name on Airbus while eviscerating Chretien's government for its treatment of him.
Mulroney wrote the book, which also deals with other issues, with the help of his cousin Michael O'Shea. For some reason the former prime minister kept this project secret from his close friends and colleagues. Even his memoir-writing assistant, Arthur Milnes, didn't know about it until this week.
Although it is a finished product, this book is kept secret. O'Shea wants the book published, but the Mulroney family is resistant. Mark Mulroney, one of the former prime minister's sons, said in an email that his mother, Mira, has the final say on such matters. “However, there is no talk of a completed book being released.”
At the time of Mulroney's death, he was praised for his nine years as prime minister. Cheers erupted from both sides of the aisle. There was little mention of the Airbus incident. So why did he publish the book for family reasons and revisit that difficult period in his life?
That's an easy position to understand. Even if Mulroney's book scores valid points in defense of his record, the lawsuit will still raise a cloud.
The counterargument is that Mulroney was one of the most important prime ministers in this country, and to suppress his important work is an affront to history and his record as prime minister, leaving controversial chapters unfinished. There is.
Mr. O'Shea declined to discuss any aspect of the Mulroney manuscript. One source said the book was scheduled to be published several years ago, but Mulroney believed the controversial revelations could complicate her daughter Caroline's entry into Ontario politics. As a result, publication was postponed.
O'Shea did not dispute that he wanted to publish the book, but said he had not received any specific instructions from Mulroney about publishing it posthumously.
Mulroney's longtime aide and press secretary, Bill Fox, would not comment on the book. Richard Isner, acting director of the Mulroney Institute of Government, said he was not aware of the book. His policy adviser, Charles Macmillan, is also kept in the dark.
At the heart of the Airbus controversy is a 1995 letter from the RCMP and the federal Department of Justice to Swiss authorities requesting access to banking records. The letter alleges that Mr. Mulroney may have been involved in a kickback scheme related to Air Canada's purchase of Airbus airliners.
The Liberal Party denied partisan motives, but Mulroney sued the government for defamation and won a public apology and a cash settlement.
Mr. Mulroney later admitted that he had received large amounts of cash from Mr. Schreiber, saying it was for consulting services unrelated to Airbus. The Oliphant Commission ruled that Mulroney acted improperly in accepting the funds. Mr. Mulroney has not fully explained his relationship with Mr. Shriver, but this will certainly be addressed in the book.
Mulroney was deeply unpopular when he resigned as prime minister in 1993. For the next 30 years, he worked tirelessly to defend his record and regain his respect. He executed it brilliantly. He engineered the biggest image makeover in the history of a Canadian prime minister.
But there was still unfinished business. It still pains him that his name was never fully cleared at Airbus, and that he claimed the Liberal Party had done him such a terrible injustice.
His book could reveal whether he has a case. If I see you someday.
