Yes, FTA and NAFTA were great ideas for us and set our economic agenda for at least two generations.  These agreements were not a priority with Reagan but Mulroney leveraged his warm relationship with his fellow Irishman such that as negotiations reached the finale, a Reagan insider remarked to a Mulroney insider that President Reagan says our agenda is now whatever the Mulroney agenda is on this deal.

Brian had the vision to see the merits of free trade, the relationship building skills to get the president on side, and the courage to see it through.

He knew the Gliberals would oppose it next election and suspected he would need to step down for the PCs to have any chance of a third term.

I especially enjoyed Brian Tobin's public apology to Mulroney 20 years later that the Liberals were wrong to oppose free trade and he was right to champion it.

So yes, this role in protecting our voluminous trade with the US reflects Mulroney's proprietary interest and his love of this country.