Next to preserving and encouraging Canadian unity, the most important job of a Canadian Prime Minister is managing the Canadian-American relationship. And on this date in 1981 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was preparing to do just that. Trudeau had his first telephone conversation with Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of California who was now President of the United States. Canadian officials, along with senior political staff in the PMO, made sure Trudeau was fully briefed before the call began.
First off, Trudeau was reminded of the contacts his team had had with Reagan’s advisors during the transition period after Reagan’s November victory. These included discussions with incoming U.S. officials like incoming National Security Advisor Richard Allen and others. In Allen’s case, he had let it be known that an early Presidential visit to Canada was in the works.
“If Mr. Reagan does not raise this subject, it would expedite matters if you did,” Trudeau was advised.
Talking points Trudeau’s staff had provided also advised him to raise the fact North-South issues would be an item raised at the fast-approaching G-7 Summit, to be chaired by Trudeau in Canada, later that year.
Below is a link where you can read some of the briefing materials received by Trudeau, with his notations on the documents, ahead of his call with the 40th President.
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.
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.