With the Cold War heating up, then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney delivered a “polite no” on this date in 1985 when Canada was invited by the U.S. Administration of President Ronald Reagan to join the controversial continental missile defence program famously known a “Star Wars.”“Plans by the American administration to counter the Soviet nuclear threat proved a major political challenge for my government,” Mulroney recalled in his best-selling Memoirs (full disclosure, I served as Mr. Mulroney’s memoirs assistant). “Using the best diplomatic , I announced that my enthusiasm for (Star Wars) was, shall we say, guarded. While determined that Canada would assume her full responsibilities as a member of the Western Alliance after years of Liberal neglect, I found the thought of the weaponization of space and the creation of another costly arms race extremely disconcerting.”In making his decision, Mulroney made sure our American allies – particularly President Reagan himself – were kept informed of Canada’s views. And, before announcing his decision, the 18th Prime Minister gave President Reagan a courtesy call ahead of the announcement. The U.S. chief executive very much appreciated the gesture, a hallmark of Mulroney’s style and success when dealing with the Americans.The decision also demonstrated that Mulroney had no problem in disagreeing with the United States if and when the need arose. “While working with President Reagan and other allies across the globe, I learned that true friends must look their counterparts in the eye and feel no hesitation in offering up the unvarnished truth. To tweak the American Eagle just for the sake of doing so – to earn nothing but easy and cheap applause from Canada’s anti-American lobby – is an abdication of leadership and a dereliction of Canada’s duty as a trusted friend and ally. The president of the United States (like any leader) has many friends, advisors, and others who tell him what they think he wants to hear. The three presidents I dealt with—Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton – didn’t want friends like that. They wanted openness and honesty, and they always responded in kind.”Birthdays: Sending our birthday best wishes to senators Elizabeth Marshall and Paula Simons.[caption id="attachment_583578" align="alignleft" width="299"] PM Mulroney and President Reagan[/caption]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.