Electoral history of Brian Mulroney Electoral history of Brian Mulroney This article is the Electoral history of Brian Mulroney, the eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada. A conservative, he served one term as Prime Minister (1984-1993). He led the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in two general elections, winning back to back majority governments (1984) and (1988). He was the first Conservative prime minister to do so since Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, in 1887 and 1891. Mulroney defeated Joe Clark for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives in 1983, and then defeated Prime Minister John Turner in the 1984 election. Mulroney's majority in the
Brian Mulroney PCs, led provincially by Robert Stanfield, swept to a surprise victory. Mulroney became a youth delegate and attended the 1956 leadership convention in Ottawa. While initially undecided, Mulroney was captivated by John Diefenbaker's powerful oratory and easy approachability. Mulroney joined the "Youth for Diefenbaker" committee which was led by Ted Rogers, a future scion of Canadian business. Mulroney struck an early friendship with Diefenbaker (who won the leadership) and received telephone calls from him. Mulroney won several public speaking contests at St. Francis Xavier University, was a star member of the school's debating team, and never lost an interuniversity debate.