The rules of the democratic game require parties to compete to reach power; this competition ends with the formation of a government to manage the wheels of the state. But the state is an entity that must endure and continue, unlike the government. To achieve these two principles, namely permanence and continuity, channels must be established to ensure benefiting from the accumulated experience in public administration between successive governments. But more importantly, there are public policies that have a lifespan much longer than governments, and therefore require continuous communication among the state officials who have successively overseen them. This also reflects the keenness of a balanced and sober political actor to prioritize the interest of his country and give it the foremost position in his political agenda. Apparently, the actions of Justin Trudeau reflect the same principles mentioned above, which will be discussed in this paper.

A new tradition that was undertaken by the current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where he appointed four former prime ministers from his predecessors as his advisors; some of them from parties other than his own. Although a group of experts merely observed this new diligence, the first question to ask in order to understand what prompted Trudeau to consult his predecessors is: What is the common denominator between Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin, and Joe Clark?

They all entered the political arena with the ambition to one day become Prime Ministers of Canada, and indeed they succeeded. Moreover, in their past political lives, they were opponents in the House of Commons or competitors within the same party. However, at a certain time, and thanks to Trudeau’s initiative, they played the same role: they offered their valuable advice to him and to some of his government’s most influential ministers, such as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne.

Since taking the helm in Ottawa, Trudeau has repeatedly contacted many of his predecessors to consult them regarding some strategic and urgent files. Accordingly, the question arises: Is this the beginning of institutionalizing a new political custom, or is it merely a simple result of a set of circumstances? This remains important from the perspective of researchers and political enthusiasts. In this regard, this practice has received wide acclaim from political actors. It is considered a sidelining of ‘partisanship’ in favor of the nation’s higher interests, especially since the knowledge stock related to state affairs and its mechanisms held by former prime ministers often remains underutilized after leaving political work in Canada.

Similarly, Daniel Beland, a professor in the Political Science Department at McGill University, sees it as a good idea but always depends on the relationship between the incumbent prime minister and former prime ministers. He supports his opinion with an example: when Paul Martin became the leader of the Liberal Party, he did not want to know anything about Jean Chrétien.

Justin Trudeau was not in direct competition with many former prime ministers. In either case, this is considered an aiding factor. But there is a limit to his approach.

Daniel Beland, Professor in the Political Science Department at McGill University.

To everyone’s surprise, Mr. Trudeau decided to seek the advice of former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in the months following Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

There were also many contacts between the two men, especially when difficult negotiations began to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 was a “bad surprise” for Justin Trudeau, to the point that he called a former leader who was familiar with the American political system for advice, according to Daniel Beland.

 Trudeau’s Outstretched Hand

While Mr. Trudeau is not the first Canadian prime minister to seek advice from his predecessors, he is the first to consult a prime minister not from his party. This outstretched hand has several explanatory factors that have been much considered.

Beland explains: “Justin Trudeau has known Mr. Mulroney since he was a child. Justin Trudeau also knows the son of former Prime Minister Ben Mulroney. So it has a personal character. Brian Mulroney was from the Progressive Conservative Party, which no longer exists at the federal level today. Mr. Mulroney was not on good terms with the Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper.”

The advice Mr. Mulroney indicated to Trudeau was very helpful, to the extent that the latter invited him to meet all the ministers in a cabinet meeting in 2019.

When I arrived at the cabinet meeting, they were all staring at me as if I had come from Mars. No wonder, because all they knew about me was what they read in the Toronto Star!

Brian Mulroney, March 2019, during his attendance at a conference on former prime ministers’ initiatives at the University of Ottawa.

It is worth noting that during the period Mr. Mulroney held the office of Prime Minister, the Toronto daily newspaper severely criticized the Progressive Conservative government and unconditionally supported the Canadian Liberal Party and its political program in its editorials.

Despite Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election last November, Mr. Trudeau continues to seek Mr. Mulroney’s advice regarding Canadian-American relations, which have been a thorny issue in recent years.

Trudeau has also sought the services of former Prime Minister Joe Clark, who served as Foreign Minister in Brian Mulroney’s government, during which Canada struggled to win a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Not to forget the long-standing relations between him and former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

For her part, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has regularly met with former Prime Minister Paul Martin, who was the finance minister for nine years under Chrétien’s government and eliminated the deficit in the 1990s.

A Historical Perspective

As for Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne, he does not hesitate to make regular phone calls to his mentor, “the little man from Shawinigan,” to get his perspective on current major issues. He also had occasional conversations with Joe Clark and Paul Martin.

I have always found it important to have a historical perspective. When we know history, this is how you can better plan for the future.

François-Philippe Champagne, Foreign Minister.

“These prime ministers faced many challenges during their terms. This helps in drawing inspiration from what they went through in the past to put today’s challenges in their proper perspective and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.”

In his talks with Paul Martin, Mr. Champagne particularly discussed the G20 summits—a group that the former prime minister played a key role in establishing when he was finance minister.

Mr. Champagne said, when meeting with former regional premiers such as Lucien Bouchard, Jean Charest, and Philippe Couillard: “The stakes change, times change. But there are teachings that still remain.”

 Overall, whether they are former prime ministers or ministers, one should not halt at their party affiliations. Rather, what attracts attention is their expertise in public administration, which should be utilized for the best interest of the country.