BOOK EXCERPT PASSAGES The fight of his life: John Turner and the free trade election

Paul Litt

In this riveting excerpt from Elusive Destiny, his new biography of John Turner, Paul Litt captures all the drama of the 1988 election, which the Liberal leader transformed into a referendum on free trade. After the fiasco of the 1984 election, Turner finally found his voice, and his issue, in his opposition to free trade. He had a lot to overcome, including a plot in his own party to oust him in mid-campaign. But in the English leaders’ debate he scored heavily on Brian Mulroney: “I believe you have sold us out.” Turner called it “the fight of my life.” And so it was, a gallant if ultimately losing campaign.

Dans ce fascinant extrait de sa biographie de John Turner, Elusive Destiny, Paul Litt évoque les tensions qui ont présidées aux élections fédérales de 1988, transformées par le chef libéral en référendum sur le libre-échange. Après le fiasco du précédent scrutin de 1984, John Turner avait finalement trouvé sa voix et défini une stratégie : l’opposition au libre- échange. Mais son parcours sera semé d’embûches, le moindre n’étant pas le complot fomenté au sein même de son parti pour l’éjecter à mi-campagne. Toutefois, il aura marqué des points dans le débat des chefs en anglais par cette réplique lancée à Brian Mulroney : « Vous avez vendu notre pays au rabais. » Cette élection qu’il a vaillamment perdue a été selon ses propres termes « le combat de sa vie ».

n October 1, 1988 Mulroney he finally agreed,” he told reporters. Pépin, the caucus lead on the issue, called on Governor General “The Liberal party is ready, our people had left this salient point unspeci- O Jeanne Sauvé and asked her are in place, we’re set to go.” Thomas fied. Turner said it would cost $4 bil- to dissolve Parliament. Election day Walkom, one of the journalists who lion, Raymond Garneau said that it would be November 21, seven and a had been so cynical about Turner in would be less, and Peter Connolly half weeks away. The Tories immedi- 1984, was impressed by his sincerity, estimated $8-10 billion. Each pro- ately rolled out more promises based concluding, “He has found his issue.” nouncement was captured on camera on their reading of government Turner embarked on his leader’s and edited into a comedic collage for polling data. Ed Broadbent arrogantly tour, which promptly went awry in a the evening news. Three days later, told the press that the campaign fashion that recalled the 1984 cam- after the media had a field day lam- would confirm the death of the Liber- paign. On October 5 he arrived in pooning the Liberals’ confusion, al Party, leaving a refreshingly simple Montreal to unveil a daycare policy Turner called a press conference to partisan landscape of Tories versus the that would create 400,000 new announce that the cost of the NDP. If this pronouncement had any spaces for preschoolers. This measure 400,000 spaces would top $10.1 bil- effect, it was to drive hesitant Liberals was already outlined in the forty- lion over seven years. back to their party, just as NDP sup- point Liberal platform. The Montreal The media concluded that the porters, responding to Turner’s posi- event was intended to flesh out Liberals, and their leader, continued to tion on free trade, began to details and publicize it. The be inept. When the Liberals subse- contemplate the heresy of voting Lib- announcement itself went smoothly quently presented their other policy eral. Turner’s opening salvo focused until journalists began to question planks, they made little impression. All squarely on the trade deal. “For two Turner and his retinue about the pol- the painstaking policy work of the pre- months, I have been asking the Prime icy’s cost. Poor communications vious months seemed to have been for Minister to let the people decide; today between Turner’s office and Lucie naught. Connolly took responsibility

70 OPTIONS POLITIQUES DÉCEMBRE 2011-JANVIER 2012 The fight of his life: John Turner and the free trade election BOOK EXCERPT for the daycare botch-up to shield ed. Turner’s leadership, it seemed, was Unfortunately, most journalists Turner, then further discredited himself one damned mutiny after another. continued to report on the old John by swearing at a reporter in the bar of Meanwhile, the Conservative Turner. They had previously lambasted Toronto’s Royal York Hotel a few days campaign had begun its mechanized him for having no policies, but having later. Soon the rumour mill was saying mobile assault on the nation. A care- a platform now did him little good. that he would be replaced, again reviv- fully orchestrated exercise modelled Television was, of course, notoriously ing memories of 1984, when Turner on recent American presidential cam- poor at communicating the complexi- had switched his campaign chair in paigns, it focused on staging positive ties of policy. Although Turner was midstream. images of the candidate for the televi- being enthusiastically received at his Another knife blade sank into sion news. Tory tour coordinators with campaign stops, his strong perform- Turner’s back on October 13, when fat event-staging manuals fanned out ance on the hustings was not making Martin Goldfarb, the Trudeau pollster across the land, scouting for appropri- it onto the nightly news. The “bum- bling leader” storyline still The Conservative campaign had begun its mechanized framed media reports. On mobile assault on the nation. A carefully orchestrated exercise October 12, for instance, he delivered a speech in Toron- modelled on recent American presidential campaigns, it to. “He’s limping! He’s focused on staging positive images of the candidate for the limping! Shoot that!” a tele- television news. vision producer exclaimed as Turner tried to manage he had inherited, and Tom Axworthy, ate backdrops and camera angles. The his back pain en route to the podium. the former Trudeau aide, published crowds who came to see Mulroney, Ignoring this interjection, Turner pro- Marching to a Different Drummer: An and the journalists who followed him, ceeded to deliver a fiery, passionate Essay on the Liberals and Conservatives were kept penned behind plastic speech against free trade to an audi- in Convention. Equating the Liberal chains at a safe distance from the ence of business people who favoured Party with the policies of Trudeau, the leader. the deal. CBC News ran a clip of a point book made ominous predictions of its Turner, in contrast, had no in the speech where he misspoke the imminent demise under misguided choice but to run a go-for-broke word “birthright,” making it sound leadership. Turner’s support for campaign. Henry Comor had intro- like “birth rate.” Meech Lake “repudiated his party’s duced him to the wireless micro- intrinsic heritage,” Goldfarb and phone, which allowed him to walk ne night, after a long day on the Axworthy wrote. Why he did so about onstage instead of standing at O campaign trail in New “remains a mystery.” Moreover, Turn- a podium. That helped expend some Brunswick, journalist Graham Fraser er was a right winger who had aban- of his nervous energy while adding a asked Turner to elaborate on his oppo- doned the natural Liberal bit of show-biz razzmatazz to his sition to free trade. Turner outlined his constituency of the poor, immigrants, appearances. Using their knowledge concerns about the deal and contextu- women, and labour. The book’s con- of their boss’s strengths, his team alized them within the history of tents and its timing seemed yet put him in situations where they Canada’s trade policy and its struggles another deliberate attempt to under- knew he performed well. But Turner for national autonomy. “Was he get- mine Turner. Here was Goldfarb, the was also far more comfortable than ting frustrated trying to get his mes- Liberals’ pollster, publicly criticizing he had been in the previous cam- sage across?” Fraser asked. Should he the party leader. A Goldfarb employ- paign. He held press conferences shift gears and look for something that ee, Senator Michael Kirby, held a key almost daily to announce policies might resonate more with the voters? position in the Liberal election cam- and answer questions. He mixed “We’re talking Canada here,” Turner paign. In press interviews, Goldfarb with journalists informally. He did replied. “If people are fed up with talk- and Axworthy said they had written open-line talk shows, waded into ing Canada, then I will have fought the book a year earlier and that Turn- press scrums, and left himself the last hurrah. But I will be able to er had since redeemed himself by exposed to chance encounters. This look myself in the mirror for the rest of endorsing different policies. But why was open-field running, and he my life. I mean, there hasn’t been a publish outdated criticisms in the proved sure on his feet. Part of the more important issue in terms of the middle of an election campaign? In credit for his performance was due direction of Canada since the war.” any event, the damage was done. The to his belief in his mission. On free One of the problems in discussing the incessant leadership gossip, sustained trade Turner was confident, sincere, free-trade deal, he continued, was that by the abortive August putsch and the and passionate — all qualities that the agreement was complex, and vot- April coup attempt, was reinvigorat- played well on television. ers needed a basic knowledge of trade

POLICY OPTIONS 71 DECEMBER 2011-JANUARY 2012 Paul Litt PASSAGES policy to understand his objections to t appeared so. An Environics poll poll numbers were bad, Turner’s health it. Yet he had only a few seconds of air I conducted during the first week of was poor, and the campaign was not time to get his message across on tele- the campaign and released on October gaining momentum. Then it laid out a vision. He was still trying to hone his 12 showed the Tories at 42 percent, the number of options. Without saying so arguments and find the right catch- NDP at 29 percent, and the Liberals specifically, it led to the obvious con- phrases to convey them. “I’ve been trailing with 25 percent. As for the best clusion that Turner should quit. He accused of going at this issue too legal- leader, 40 per cent liked Mulroney, 29 was astounded. He was confident that ly for the last year and a half, but I per cent chose Broadbent, and only 15 his bad luck couldn’t last and that his have done that deliberately to try to per cent preferred Turner. The Liberals message would eventually break keep it on a rational basis,” he couldn’t afford national polling, but through to the Canadian public. explained. “What I will be doing now they were tracking twelve bellwether Besides, whoever thought the Liberals is converting it into more human, ridings. Results in early October could replace their leader — even with everyday terms with examples of how showed them behind in all but one, the ever-popular Jean Chrétien — and it will affect people.” where they clung to a tenuous 1 per- win the election was dreaming. They Turner was discovering that, if he cent lead. If this situation prevailed, would look like a clutch of mercenaries cast his free-trade message in patriotic they would end up in third place with led by an opportunistic assassin with terms, saying that it spelled the end of a dozen fewer seats than they current- blood on his hands. Canada’s independence, he got a ly held. The “strange death” of the response. If such a broad caricature Canadian Liberal Party once again he same discussion occurred were required, then so be it. Why seemed imminent. The Liberals’ situa- T among other senior Liberals. should Canadians need to know the tion was depressing and still deterio- Turner’s friend Richard Alway began to details of trade policy? They wanted rating, with a subsequent Gallup poll receive “discreet” phone calls inquir- their politicians to do the analysis and putting Turner’s approval rating at 8 ing whether Turner would step down. present them with the choices in the percent. Ouellet buttonholed Connolly at a simplest terms. He began to find ways As head of the party’s strategy meeting in Ottawa on Saturday, Octo- to convey his message. “It’s not a trade committee, Michael Kirby received the ber 15, to make the case. Kirby and deal — it’s the ‘Sale of Canada Act,’” he polling data in Ottawa, analyzed it, Goldfarb took Doug Kirkpatrick aside declared. He would then elaborate: and passed it on to Turner with his to deliver the same message. Connolly I will not let Brian Mulroney commentary on his leader’s tour. The didn’t know whether Ouellet was sell out our sovereignty. I will committee, which also included speaking for himself or for the com- not let this great nation surren- Senator Al Graham and André Ouellet mittee and thought it best not to ask. der its birthright. I will not let Brian Mulroney Turner was discovering that, if he cast his free-trade message destroy a 120-year-old in patriotic terms, saying that it spelled the end of Canada’s dream called Canada, and neither will independence, he got a response. If such a broad caricature Canadians ... I believe were required, then so be it. that on election day, November 21st, Canadians will (the national campaign co-chairs), From his perspective, Turner was doing understand that a vote for the John Webster (the campaign director), quite well — they need only be patient Liberal Party is a vote for a and Michael Robinson (a lobbyist who and wait for Canadians to recognize it. stronger, fairer, more independ- was the party’s director of finance), He told Turner about the discussion. ent and more sovereign Canada. was rattled by this latest news. The Ouellet later phoned Turner to talk I believe that Canadians are not prospect of losing again was, for all about the polls but never broached the going to vote for Brian good Liberals, unthinkable. Either notion of a leadership change. Turner Mulroney, a man who would be delusions of grandeur or a hyperactive didn’t help him out by saying that he governor of a 51st state. They but misguided sense of responsibility knew what he was thinking. If another are going to vote for John led them, with Kirby chairing, to dis- mutiny were in the works, he would Turner, a man who wants to be cuss the possibility of switching lead- not pre-approve it. Prime Minister of Canada. ers in mid-campaign. That Sunday evening, Al Graham During the previous free-trade Ouellet hand delivered to flew to Quebec City, where Turner was elections of 1891 and 1911, opposition Stornoway a memorandum from the campaigning. Turner’s aides thought he had been framed in just this way. Now committee, which Turner found wait- had been sent to deliver the message Canadians would address the question ing on his return to Ottawa on Friday, that Turner should step down but again. Would their answer change? October 14. It began by saying that the couldn’t bring himself to go through

72 OPTIONS POLITIQUES DÉCEMBRE 2011-JANVIER 2012 The fight of his life: John Turner and the free trade election BOOK EXCERPT with it. What he did say was that before Chrétien had been approached to message visually that Mulroney was not Chrétien should be more involved with see if he would step up. “He turned it to be trusted and that Turner had the the campaign. Everyone knew that the down because it is not his agenda, the authority to judge. On the evening of Chrétien forces had been dragging their candidates are not his choices, the party the French debate, Peter Connolly arrived at Stornoway fifteen Mansbridge described the Liberal strategy meeting of the minutes early to take Turner week before and reported that the committee members had to the studio. He found him pacing the driveway. “Let’s considered pressuring Turner to quit, sent him a memo go!” Turner told him. So off outlining the desperate condition of the Liberal campaign, they went to the studios of and followed up with phone calls before backing off. the local CTV affiliate, CJOH, in suburban Ottawa. Turner heels, realizing that a victory would put has no money, and he doesn’t want to entered the studio building hunched the leadership beyond his reach for destroy himself,” a source reported. over as he tried to minimize the pain years. Turner nevertheless said that if The discouraging polls, the that shot through his back with every Chrétien were willing to take the party rumours of another coup, and the step. Once at the lectern, however, he line on Meech Lake and free trade, he inability of the Liberals to behave hon- stood erect and shut out the pain for the was welcome to campaign. No such ourably when presented with the possi- next three hours. participation was forthcoming. bility of being out of power combined The debates were structured as a to devastate party morale in the middle series of rotating one-on-one encoun- eanwhile, CBC-TV news was hot of the election campaign. Some ters between the three leaders. Turner’s M on the trail of the latest instal- Quebec Liberal candidates tried to dis- French was fluent, and he seemed at ment in the saga of Liberal leadership tance themselves from Turner by posi- ease and in command of the issues. intrigue. Sheldon Turcotte, the acting tioning themselves as independents. Against Mulroney, he took the offen- anchorman for CBC News, then intro- Turner, for his part, found himself in sive, attacking him on patronage with duced regular anchorman Peter mid-campaign with senior advisers he particularly devastating effect. Mul- Mansbridge, dressed like a journalist in could no longer trust. Chrétien, who roney, who had planned to remain a trenchcoat. Mansbridge described was quoted in newspapers as telling unflappably prime ministerial, was the Liberal strategy meeting of the Liberals he wanted this election to be riled by Turner’s accusations, went off- week before and reported that the “a stake through Turner’s heart,” was script, and ended up looking raffish. committee members had considered seeing his fondest hopes realized. Turner, in contrast, appeared bemused pressuring Turner to quit, sent him a By this point in the campaign, by Mulroney’s pompous evasions. memo outlining the desperate condi- Turner had been tripped up, knocked When the reviews came in the next tion of the Liberal campaign, and fol- about, and stabbed in the back to the day, he was seen as the clear winner. lowed up with phone calls before point that he should, by rights, have Bolstered by this success, Turner backing off. A shot of what was sup- staggered and pitched face-first into was primed for the English debate the posed to be the memo Ouellet had the turf. Yet he kept on running. next day, Tuesday, October 25. He was delivered to Stornoway flashed up on Ahead, in week four of the campaign, so pleased with the way the French the screen. In fact, the CBC didn’t lay the television debates, his best debate had gone that he asked Morrow have the memo and was just showing chance to speak directly to Canadians to prepare him for the English debate a facsimile. When Turner, who was in and, not incidentally, to make up for as well. Morrow advised a change of Vancouver that night, learned that the his “no option” debacle of 1984. The tactics. He should hold off, cultivate an story would be broadcast, he shrugged. French debate was scheduled for image of calm and reason, then unload “Well, we’ve got a speech to make,” he Monday, October 24, with the English on Mulroney toward the end. When he said simply, and soldiered off to give it. debate to follow the next day. arrived at the studio, Turner was The effect of the Mansbridge report cheered to see anti-free-trade demon- resonated in the days that followed as ndré Morrow, a Montreal advertis- strators outside waving placards read- other networks presented it as news, A ing and media consultant, took the ing “Free Canada, Trade Mulroney.” overshadowing Turner’s tour. lead in preparing Turner for the French Mulroney parried Turner’s asser- Meanwhile, in Quebec, Liberal MPs debate. He cut off caffeine and alcohol tion that he had not been forthcom- spooked by the polls were doing exactly for his charge and ruthlessly limited ing, responding with, “There has been what Mansbridge had accused the strat- access to him. Morrow advised Turner to a most vigorous and I think probably egy committee of doing — discussing be aggressive throughout the debate and unprecedented exchange of views.” how to overthrow their leader. The dis- to look at Mulroney with a stern and dis- “I think the issues happen to be so cussions ultimately fizzled, but not approving gaze. This would send the important for the future of Canada,”

POLICY OPTIONS 73 DECEMBER 2011-JANUARY 2012 Paul Litt PASSAGES countered Turner. “I happen to believe schools and churches and they ansbridge described the Liberal you’ve sold us out. I happen to believe in their own way were nation M strategy meeting of the week that once you enter —” building ... I today sir, as a before and reported that the commit- “Just one second,” Mulroney inter- Canadian, believe genuinely in tee members had considered pressur- jected, wagging his finger at Turner. “You what I am doing. I believe it is ing Turner to quit, sent him a memo do not have a monopoly on patriotism!” right for Canada. I believe that outlining the desperate condition of “Once —” in my own modest way I am the Liberal campaign, and followed up “I resent the fact of your implica- nation building. with phone calls before backing off. tion that only you are a Canadian!” With this last declaration, His passion conveyed integrity and Mulroney again interrupted. Mulroney seemed to have temporari- deep conviction. “By performing well “I’m saying —” ly exhausted his lexicon of patriotic in the debate,” one commentator “I want to tell you that I come pieties. Turner got a chance to speak observed, “he far exceeded expecta- from a Canadian family, and I love without being interrupted and, after tions and caused voters to reassess Canada!” declaring that his own ancestry was their opinion of him, which they did “Once any —” as Canadian as Mulroney’s, blasted with a vengeance.” Now journalists “And that is why I did it, to pro- the prime minister with a withering began falling all over themselves to mote prosperity!” outburst: praise the man. The old lens was shat- “Once any country —” You mentioned 120 years of tered. They saw a “new” John Turner, “Don’t you impugn my motives!” history. We built a country and this revelation gave them what “Once any country yields its eco- east and west and north. We they had always needed: a news story. nomic levers —” built it on an infrastructure And the Liberals had more. Their “Don’t you impugn my motives or that deliberately resisted the ad agency, Red Leaf, reinforced anyone else’s!” continental pressure of the Turner’s debate message with a memo- “Once a country yields its invest- United States. For 120 years rable television ad that aired the day ments, once a country yields its energy –” we’ve done it. With one signa- before the first debate. It showed US “We have not done it!” ture of a pen, you’ve reversed and Canadian negotiators facing each “Once a country yields its agricul- that, thrown us into the north- other across a table. “Since we’re talk- ture —” south influence of the United ing about the free-trade deal,” the “Wrong again!” States and will reduce us ... to slightly sinister-looking American said, “Once a country opens itself up to a a colony of the United States, “there’s one line I’d like to change.” subsidy war with the United States —” because when the economic The camera shifted to a map of Canada “Wrong again!” levers go, the political inde- and the United States, where a hand “— on terms of definition, then pendence is sure to follow. took an eraser and rubbed out the bor- the political ability of this country to sustain the influ- Mansbridge described the Liberal strategy meeting of the ence of the United States, to remain as an independent week before and reported that the committee members had nation, that is lost forever, considered pressuring Turner to quit, sent him a memo and that’s the issue of this outlining the desperate condition of the Liberal campaign, election.” and followed up with phone calls before backing off. Having fractured Turner’s initial sally with repeated interruptions, Mulroney Drawing on his rich innate under- der between the two countries. The ad launched into his personal genealogy standing of Canada, Turner had effectively conveyed Turner’s message, to display his credentials as a salt-of- invoked myths and fears at the core of as did the frequent replays on news the-earth Canadian: its collective psyche with a few vivid and public affairs shows of his broad- Mr. Turner, let me tell you phrases. The country he was defending side against Mulroney during the something, sir. This country is was one he had lived in and loved debate. His free-trade stance was com- only about 120 years old, but since childhood, studied in university, ing across simply yet dramatically on my own father 55 years ago and criss-crossed innumerable times television. went himself, as a labourer, on the nation’s business. He knew The Liberal campaign took off, with hundreds of other Canada. It was an independent domin- with attendance at rallies soaring, Canadians, and with their own ion built on an east-west backbone, donations flowing in, and volunteers hands in northeastern Quebec not just a northern annex of the flocking to join the campaign. Party they built a little town, and United States. workers were inspired by the prospect

74 OPTIONS POLITIQUES DÉCEMBRE 2011-JANVIER 2012 The fight of his life: John Turner and the free trade election BOOK EXCERPT

CP Photo “I believe you have sold us out,” John Turner tells Brian Mulroney during the 1988 English-language leaders’ debate. It was the defining moment of the free trade election, which Turner called “the fight of my life.” of victory. Even Jean Chrétien became disastrous for Canada. The same poll had wrested control of the election more active on the hustings. A few put the Liberals at 43 per cent popular agenda away from the Tories and MPs and candidates grew so cocky that support, with the Tories down to 31 made it a referendum on free trade. they began talking about Cabinet percent and the NDP at 22 percent. Allan Gregg, the Conservative poll- posts and other prospects of office. The There had been a 19 per cent change ster, later told a journalist, “It was media responded by reframing its cov- in voters’ intentions since the previous dire, it was black...The election was en erage of Turner. Instead of showing Gallup poll — the largest one-time route to being lost.” him limping to symbolize his political shift recorded by the organization in Yet the well-financed Tory cam- condition, they now ran pictures of its forty-one-year history. Turner was paign had ample capacity to fight back. him being swarmed by friendly mobs. not at all happy to see these numbers. When Conservative strategists met to “Do television debates cure bad According to the Liberals’ own polling, consider what they could do to reverse backs?” asked Charles Gordon of the they had no more than a 6 per cent their plunge in the polls, Gregg main- Ottawa Citizen. lead. When more accurate polls subse- tained that the only way to save the sit- Free trade shot to the top of vot- quently became public, they would uation was to attack Turner’s character. ers’ concerns. A November 7 Gallup encourage the perception that Despite his recent resurrection in the poll showed that support for it had momentum was shifting back to the eyes of voters, Gregg explained, Turner fallen to 26 percent from 34 percent Tories. had a legacy of low approval ratings. two weeks earlier. By a two-to-one By the time the full impact of the They should revive latent suspicions margin, Canadians told pollsters they debate was apparent, it was early about his leadership qualities. “We saw believed Turner was genuine in his November, and just three weeks that the bridge that joined the growing belief that the free-trade deal would be remained in the campaign. Turner fear of free trade and the growing sup-

POLICY OPTIONS 75 DECEMBER 2011-JANUARY 2012 Paul Litt PASSAGES port for the Liberal party was John Next the Conservatives unleashed across the country, predicting severe Turner’s credibility,” he later explained. a barrage of negative advertising. They economic consequences for Canada “So we had to get all the planes in the had more television advertising room if it rejected the deal. Estimates of air and smash the bridge and blow it than their opponents because electoral the total amount spent by the pri- up.” The plan was simple: destroy rules allotted time in proportion to a vate sector on pro-free trade advertis- Turner’s reputation. party’s representation in the House of ing in the last three weeks of the Commons. They also had bulging campaign ranged between $4-5 mil- he Tories’ first step was to instruct campaign coffers. Businesses, many of lion, whereas the total budget for the T their most credible national fig- them American owned, donated some Pro-Canada network for the entire ures to call Turner a liar. The first of the $10 million to the Conservative cam- campaign was $750,000 — most of heavy cannon to be wheeled to the paign. Given the capital-intensive which had already been spent by this parapet was Finance Minister Michael nature of polling, advertising, public point. The Canadian Chamber of Wilson. Arrangements were made to relations, and other modern election- Commerce wrote to its 170,000 have him speak at a luncheon in eering techniques, that afforded them members, urging them to campaign Ottawa on October 31, just five days a considerable advantage over their for free trade. Business also tried to after the debate. “John Turner in the rivals. The average viewer saw approx- browbeat its employees into line. debate Tuesday night said [Mulroney] imately twenty Tory television ads in The Canadian Manufacturers’ has agreed to let the Americans have a the final week of the election, com- Association sent letters to its three say in the future of our social pro- pared to ten or twelve for the Liberals thousand members, telling execu- grammes such as unemployment and the NDP combined. tives to instruct their workforces on insurance and medicare,” Wilson where their interests lay. Many CEOs intoned. “I say to Mr. Turner, that is a he Conservative campaign was complied by warning employees that lie ... Taking this lie into our senior cit- T reinforced by a huge onslaught their jobs depended on the deal. The izens’ homes is the cruellest form of of third-party advertising. In Toronto Globe and Mail joined the campaigning that I’ve seen in 10 years Canada’s previous free-trade elec- chorus with a series of articles and in politics.” tions of 1891 and 1911, business editorials outlining the dire econom- The Conservatives coaxed eighty- interests had worked to keep the pro- ic consequences of rejecting free nine-year-old Justice Emmett Hall, who tection of high tariffs and were thus trade. “Big business, led by American had headed the royal commission that opposed to free trade. Now they multinationals, is now trying to buy drafted national health care insurance in wanted access to the vast American this election,” Turner warned. But the 1960s, to make a statement that free markets Mulroney promised them. his voice was drowned out. Even the trade presented no danger to medicare. The Business Council on National Alberta government got involved, Hall had, in an earlier life, been a Issues, led by Thomas D’Acquino, sponsoring a $500,000 advertising Conservative and now returned to his had been lobbying for free trade for campaign for free trade. roots. In Quebec they got Claude Castonguay, a promi- The Conservative campaign was reinforced by a huge nent provincial Liberal and a onslaught of third-party advertising. In Canada’s previous key figure in the introduc- free-trade elections of 1891 and 1911, business interests had tion of medicare in the worked to keep the protection of high tariffs and were thus province, to say the same. It was reasonable to conclude opposed to free trade. Now they wanted access to the vast that he was a surrogate for American markets Mulroney promised them. Bourassa, his intervention yet another signal that the provincial years. Its members — the CEOs of On November 17, with four days Liberals had transferred their allegiance the 150 largest corporations in left in the campaign, President to the federal Progressive Conservatives. Canada — had plenty of resources to Ronald Reagan, then in the last few The Tories also put Simon Reisman on throw into the Conservative cam- weeks of his second term, promoted the road to repudiate the Liberals’ claims paign. In 1987 BCNI had joined with the deal in a high-profile speech. It about the trade deal he had negotiated. other business groups to form the was, he opined, a fine example of Warming to his topic, Reisman told an Canadian Alliance for Trade and Job solidarity between nations, a testa- audience that Turner was worse than a Opportunities, a pro-free-trade coali- ment to the commitment of two liar — he was a traitor. Turner was used tion that had spent millions promot- governments to free-market princi- to politics taking a toll on personal rela- ing free trade. Now it launched a ples and economic cooperation. tionships, but having an old friend turn $1.3 million blitz that placed multi- Turner, who was appearing on a on him in this way was truly hurtful. page ads in thirty-five newspapers Quebec open-line radio show that

76 OPTIONS POLITIQUES DÉCEMBRE 2011-JANVIER 2012 The fight of his life: John Turner and the free trade election BOOK EXCERPT day, described Reagan’s remarks as steady point-a-day climb in voter David Peterson’s support, the Liber- “unprecedented interference” in support. Whereas polls conducted als netted 43 of the 99 seats, but it Canadian domestic affairs and char- immediately after the debates said wasn’t enough to make up for Que- acterized them as “a case of a lame- that 55 percent of people believed bec and Conservative strength in the duck trying to rescue a dead duck.” that Turner opposed free trade West, where they took only 6 seats to It was a good line that didn’t get the because of conviction, that percent- the Tories’ 48. When all the results air play it might have if he had age had now fallen to 27 percent. In were in, the Conservatives won the uttered it on television. Meanwhile, terms of voters’ ratings of leadership election with a reduced majority. Margaret Thatcher told the qualities, Turner was driven back to With 170 of the 295 seats in Parlia- Washington Post that, if the free- third place among the party leaders. ment, they had the votes needed to trade deal were revoked, it would be One week before the election, fully pass the trade deal. “very difficult for any prime minis- 40 per cent of the Canadian elec- Turner’s Liberals more than dou- ter of Canada to negotiate another torate said it feared the economic bled their seats to 82, and the NDP international agreement with anoth- consequences of rejecting the deal. came out with 43. The Conservatives received 43 per cent of the The Conservatives’ attack on Turner was enabled by the popular vote; the Liberals, Liberal Party itself. Its failure to close ranks behind Turner 31.9 per cent; and the NDP, 20.4 per cent, with fringe while in opposition was fatal. The media’s negative parties, including the new assessment of him had been reinforced regularly by the Reform Party out west, split- Liberals themselves, often at the most inopportune moments. ting the remainder. “I have promoted my vision of a er country.” Thatcher, Turner said in For the first time since polling strong, independent and sovereign French, was treating Canadians like began, the electorate had executed a Canada,” Turner declared in his con- “colons,” which meant “colonials” double reverse — shifting from cession speech, “and I’ve done so with but had connotations in French of majority government territory for all my heart and all my strength and I ignorance, stupidity, and naïveté. one party to the other and then back have no regrets at all.” again in the course of one election The Conservatives’ attack on urner and his advisers tried des- campaign. Character assassination Turner was enabled by the Liberal T perately to think of some way to and fear-mongering worked. Party itself. Its failure to close ranks strike back. They agreed that it would The weekend before election day, behind Turner while in opposition be best to find a new issue with which Turner toured Ontario, trying to con- was fatal. The media’s negative assess- to throw the Tories off-balance. Those solidate support in ridings where the ment of him had been reinforced reg- who had advised holding the party’s race was tight. The Liberals emptied ularly by the Liberals themselves, forty-point policy platform in reserve their campaign war chest to place an often at the most inopportune had just such a predicament in mind. ad in every major Canadian daily moments. In the few short months But it was too late now — all that telling readers they should vote leading up to the election, and even ammunition was spent. Martin Liberal, not NDP, to block the free- during the campaign, the damage Goldfarb revived the idea of a liberal- trade deal. Turner remained con- inflicted on Turner by his own party ized abortion policy, but Turner vinced that he was right — and that was devastating. Inspired by a cause wouldn’t unleash such a divisive issue his analysis of the deal would prove that he saw as central to his country’s merely for partisan advantage. prophetic. future, he came close to saving them Goldfarb then suggested attacking the When the first results came in from themselves, but he was undercut Tories’ plan for a value-added tax, the from Atlantic Canada on election by incessant disloyalty within his GST. Turner again refused, because he night, the Liberals had tripled their party. The Liberals had behaved badly thought it a good policy. He raised seats in the region from 7 to 20. In and deserved to lose. The tragedy was other issues but received scant media Quebec, however, the combination that their ignoble conduct had dis- coverage. The Conservative advertis- of free trade, Meech Lake, federal tracted voters from deciding on its ing onslaught kept the focus on spending, and Bourassa’s support for merits an issue with profound impli- Turner’s character. Mulroney was too much to beat. The cations for Canada’s future. With their superior resources, Liberals won 12 of the 75 seats, down the Conservatives were able to poll, from 17 in 1984. The Tories swept all Excerpted from Elusive Destiny: The advertise, and massage the media on the remaining 63 seats, including Political Vocation of John Napier a scale that dwarfed their rivals’ Raymond Garneau’s riding. In Turner, published by UBC Press (2011). efforts. They were now enjoying a Ontario, where they had Premier By permission of the publisher.

POLICY OPTIONS 77 DECEMBER 2011-JANUARY 2012