“Fifty years from today, Americans will revere the name, ‘Obama’.” A stirring endorsement of the U.S President and his crusade for health care reform – coming not from our current Prime Minister, but from a former one: Brian Mulroney. At a gathering of 1,500 Conservative supporters in Montreal, Mulroney praised Barack Obama for “fighting for a form of universal healthcare” amidst “ferocious resistance.” The remarks were made to a cheering crowd of conservatives, whose own chosen leader, Stephen Harper, has remained conspicuously quiet on the American health care debate. Notably, at this summer’s Three Amigos summit in Mexico – attended by Canada, the U.S, and Mexico – Harper was asked at a news conference whether the U.S should try emulating aspects of Canadian healthcare, such as universal coverage. But the PM’s response – that it was a matter for Americans to decide and that Canadian health care is a provincial, not a federal matter – skirted around the question. The relationship between the two politicians has been strained since Harper demanded a public inquiry into Mulroney’s interactions with German lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber and then instructed staff to sever ties with the former PM.
Photo Gallery: Conservatives celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mulroney’s sweep to power
