Mulroney-Harper alliance bad news for Canada's workers

"Ottawa - Brian Mulroney is back and it's bad news for Canadian workers.

If any reminder were needed, apart from his close association with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, it came late last week with the reporting of a Mulroney-related union-busting operation in the United States.
Mulroney-Harper alliance


Mulroney has emerged as one of Harper's most important advisers in the June 28 Canadian election campaign. He is also the chairman of Quebecor World of Montreal, one of the largest commercial print media services companies anywhere.
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The former Canadian prime minister has been keeping a low profile during the Canadian election, mainly because memories of his 1984-1993 government are still so raw in voters' minds that his influence would be a liability if citizens knew how close the two men have become.

Mulroney was so despised when he left politics that his Progressive Conservative party was reduced to two seats, the most humiliating defeat ever suffered by a national ruling political party in Canada. Since then, the former prime minister has worked tirelessly to restore his tattered reputation.

Now, 11 years after the fact, he is making a comeback of sorts through his association with Harper — and workers are justified in being uneasy. Harper is opposed to unions and workers on general ideological grounds. Mulroney is opposed for practical business reasons - the fewer unions there are, and the weaker they are, the better it is for the bottom line."