So it was, on November 21, 1988, that Brian Mulroney became the first Conservative since Sir John A. himself to win back-to-back majority victories. Mr. Mulroney's victory came after the incredible experience in national democracy that was the Free Trade election. Imagine today having two -- with a fine assist from Ed Broadbent -- articulate and able national leaders (Mr. Mulroney and John Turner) going around the country for seven or eight weeks and engaging us citizens in -- wait for it! -- a real, substantive issue of personal importance to all Canadians. I can remember discussions and arguments in my part-time workplace at Scarborough Town Centre, passionate views on free trade with the USA expressed at family dinner tables over and over and an English-language television debate for the ages. In the end, something like 75 per cent of Canadians voted, a remarkable number. In fact, looking back, I've never felt that any leader or party "won" or "lost" that year.  Instead, we all won and the greatest -- in my lifetime, at least -- participatory exercise at the polls was the winner.  Canadians were so engaged and alive in a policy debate of profound importance to the nation. And the personal leadership of both Prime Minister Mulroney and his opponent Mr. Turner was indeed the stuff of history.  At points during the campaign both leaders literally had to carry the campaigns almost alone on their backs when their parties faltered. What a great time it was to be a young, engaged Canadian! So 33 years-on, thank you to Mr. Mulroney, the late Mr. Turner and Mr. Broadbent for leading us through an issues-based campaign the likes of which we have not seen since. That in itself was national leadership. caption id="attachment_595523" align="alignleft" width="666" Three main Party Leaders in 1988's Election: Brian Mulroney, John Turner and Ed Broadbent/caption Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist.  He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy.  A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.