How was Brian Mulroney as Prime Minister of Canada?

Mulroney’s term in office (1984–93) is identified by a mix bag of success and failure. Looking back I would give him an overall rating of C+.

Successes

1. Introduced the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA;
2. Stood by the US during the First Gulf War;
3. Secured Acid Rain Agreement with the US (had a great working relationship with Ronald Reagan);
4. Passed the Canadian Environmental Protection;
5. An argument for Fiscal responsibility can be made around his introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that has been kept in place by all Canadian Pm’s since;
6. Formerly apologized and granted a compensation to Japanese Canadians in light of their internment and civil rights abuse suffered during World War Two.

Failures

1. The country was stricken by one constructional crisis after another and what it seemed to many Canadians as the heavy handed desire of the Federal Government to push through an unpopular agreement on the country (Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord - the latter was rejected in a referendum). Identity politics proliferated during the Mulroney era;
2. He literally divided the Progressive Conservative party leading to the genesis of the Reform Party in the West and the Bloc Quebecois in Quebec. The voice for Quebec Separatism peaked during his tenure. Others saw Mulroney as somewhat of a pro-Quebec lackey;
3. Although he changed tune later with the GST his government continued with the fiscal irresponsibility of Pierre Trudeau. Government deficits soared contradicting the deficit hawk promise that he had campaigned under. The Canadian dollar suffered as a function of this;
4. Failed to deliver on promises to the Military…Noted Canadian Historian J.L. Granatstein points out that ‘(he) raised the military's hopes repeatedly, but failed to deliver. Budgets were cut and troop sizes reduced placing Canada’s Cold War and post Cold War initiatives in jeopardy;
5. The Airbus Affair Scandal. Chronology of the Airbus scandal.

Like many former PMs he has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in the public opinion front. His legacy still awaits further investigation by historians.