Then-prime minister Brian Mulroney, right, confers with then-deputy prime minister Don Mazankowski prior to a cabinet meeting in Montreal, on Sept. 4, 1986.THE CANADIAN PRESS
During the decade I led the Progressive Conservative Party – including almost nine years as prime minister – Don Mazankowski played a special and key role in my life.
He was a superb minister, serving in portfolios ranging from finance to transport, and one who performed brilliantly in the House of Commons without alienating opposition members. He was there to work for Canada and recognized that, no matter the heat of debate, members across the aisle might see the issue differently but had the same objective. Like his hero John Diefenbaker, Maz was a House of Commons man.
It was when I asked Maz to become my deputy prime minister, however, that I got the true measure of the man. For seven years we worked intimately together, developing a relationship that was solid as a rock, built on mutual trust and genuine affection. Maz used to say that we had become so close we could finish each other’s sentences.
In that capacity, Maz became the equivalent of chief operating officer of the Canadian government. In my absence, he spoke on my behalf, chaired cabinet committees, worked effectively with cabinet and caucus and the senior public service to ensure the (hopefully) smooth implementation of government policy. In this sensitive role, Maz performed with uncommon leadership, patience and skill.
Maz also paid particular attention to his responsibilities as senior minister for his beloved Alberta. In this capacity, he was deeply involved in every crucial decision, from the abolition of NEP and FIRA to the creation of the Western Diversification Office headquartered in Edmonton, the transfer of the National Energy Board headquarters from Ottawa to Calgary, the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, privatization of Petro Canada and Air Canada, to name but a few. History will record that few if any federal Alberta leaders could match the remarkable achievements of Don Mazankowski.
– Brian Mulroney, former prime minister of Canada