Kim Campbell, the initial woman Prime Minister of Canada, achieved rapid advancement in her political career, attaining the highest point of her professional life just seven years after entering politics.
The Progressive Conservative party’s loss in the 1993 election and overall downfall was originally attributed solely to Kim Campbell. However, it was actually a joint effort by both Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell. Due to her rapid rise in politics, Kim Campbell lacked the experience of most other MPs at her level. The Canadian population grew dissatisfied with Brian Mulroney during his resignation as the Tories were ending their second term in power. While Kim Campbell became Prime Minister through her party’s election, she was not chosen by the Canadian people. In the 1993 election, an American company produced a commercial under Kim Campbell’s direction that made fun of Jean Chretien, leader of the Liberal party, for his physical disability. Kim Campbell began her political career in 1986.
In Vancouver, Kim Campbell first won a provincial seat and later ran for the House of Commons in 1988. One of her notable accomplishments was proposing the USA-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which gained recognition from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
In 1989, Campbell was appointed by Mulroney as the Minister of State for Indian and Northern Affairs. She then held positions as the Minister of Justice in 1990 and as the Minister of Defence one year later. After seven years in politics, Campbell pursued leadership of the Progressive Conservative party and ultimately succeeded Brian Mulroney after serving just two years as Minister of Defence.
Kim Campbell’s lack of political experience put her at a significant disadvantage when difficulties arose. The Tories, led by Brian Mulroney, had controlled Canada for two terms, lasting 9 years. However, Canadian citizens were tired of Mulroney and his Progressive Conservative government. So, when it was announced that Mulroney would step down, the majority of Canadians were pleased to see him go. Nonetheless, this resignation marked the end of the Progressive Conservatives’ influence in Canada. Unsatisfied with their actions, Canadians chose to elect another political party instead of having a federal election; a leadership convention occurred after Mulroney’s resignation.
The Tories in Canada recently held a leadership election, resulting in the selection of a new Prime Minister. This decision indicated that Kim Campbell was not preferred by the country but rather by the Progressive Conservative party. Consequently, three months later, Canada elected not only a different leader but also an entirely different political party. The Liberal party gained power through this election and left the Progressive Conservative party with just two seats.
Despite having a leader in charge, Canadians’ dissatisfaction with the Tories resulted in the most severe defeat in Canadian history. In the 1993 federal election, Kim Campbell was behind in the polls when she made a fateful decision that led to her party’s downfall. She chose an American Company to create a commercial that mocked Jean Chretien, the leader of the Liberal party, for his physical disability called Bells palsy. This condition causes paralysis on one side of Chretien’s face, specifically affecting the muscles on his right mouth side. The insensitive commercial caused Canadians to empathize with Chretien and consequently led to significant suffering for Kim Campbell and the Tories.
Campbell’s problematic performance in the campaign, combined with her failure to distance herself from the highly unpopular Brian Mulroney, led to the downfall of the party.1 The PC party had already been struggling due to Mulroney’s nine years in power, which had alienated Canadians. After Mulroney resigned, it was difficult for the PC party to regain popularity. Campbell’s lack of political experience was evident in her decision to create a commercial targeting Jean Chretien, resulting in her defeat in the 1993 election. As a result of both Mulroney and Campbell’s actions, little remained of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. The party was completely eradicated, including its stronghold in Alberta.2 Thus, considering these facts, it is evident that Brian Mulroney played a significant role in destroying the PC party and Campbell was not alone in this effort.
