During his years as a corporate executive, Mulroney remained active in politics, taking every occasion to increase his visibility among the public and to gain support from within the party for his upcoming leadership bid. In 1982, because of an economic depression, the Iron Ore Company of Canada was forced to close one of its mining and milling towns in Quebec. At first this appeared to be a terrible political setback for Mulroney. However, he turned …showed first 75 words of 622 total…

…showed last 75 words of 622 total…than government intervention should determine the course of the Canadian economy. Not all Canadians saw free trade in quite the same light as Mulroney. There was fierce opposition to the proposal across the country and within Parliament. When it became clear that the Liberal-dominated Senate was unwilling to ratify the agreement unless the Conservatives received the official seal of approval from the Canadian voting public, Mulroney was forced to call an election on the issue.