Former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who knows “several” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet secretaries and is advising Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regularly on Canada-U.S. relations, helped arrange top Trump lieutenant Stephen Schwarzman’s briefing at Mr. Trudeau’s Calgary cabinet retreat last month and is part of the reason why Mr. Trudeau’s trip to Washington, D.C. two weeks ago was such a success, sources close to Mr. Mulroney told The Hill Times.

“People around the world talk to him because Brian knows Trump, but he knows several of the cabinet guys. When Justin went to Washington, he got very good advice and he played it very well,” said Charles McMillan, former senior policy adviser to then-prime minister Mulroney, in an interview with The Hill Times. “I would say he’s the only Canadian who has close connections to Trump and the entourage.”

At the two-day retreat held Jan. 22-23, Mr. Schwarzman, head of Mr. Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum consisting of 16 top business leaders from Wall Street and Silicon Valley, met with Prime Minister Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and the cabinet. After the meetings, the U.S. businessman told reporters that he doesn’t think Canada should be “enormously worried [about trade relationship between the two countries] because Canada is held in very high regard” adding that the trade between the two countries is “very much in balance.”

Like most other governments around the world, Mr. Trump’s election victory took the Liberal government and the top echelons of the public service by surprise. One key concern, amongst others, for all top Canadian officials was the real estate billionaire’s aggressive protectionist trade rhetoric during the Republican primary and the general election campaign. In campaign speeches and other public comments, Mr. Trump described the North American Free Trade Agreement as a disaster for the U.S. and blasted China, Japan and Germany with allegations of currency manipulation. Mr. Trump also promised to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to plug the inflow of illegal immigrants to the U.S.

As the largest trading partner, Canada’s economy is heavily dependent on the trade with the U.S. as more than $2-billion worth of goods are traded each day between the two countries.

The U.S. presidential election took place on Nov. 8 and Parliament was not in session that week. So, a day after the election, Mr. Trudeau held a conference call with all Liberal MPs advising them not to say anything negative about the new president. On Jan. 10, Mr. Trudeau shuffled his cabinet to deal with the changed political landscape in the U.S. He appointed Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) as the new Foreign Affairs minister and rookie Liberal MP Francois-Philippe Champagne (St. Maurice-Champlain, Que.) as the new minister of International Trade.

Another source close to Mr. Mulroney, who did not want to be identified, told The Hill Times that after the U.S. election, the top Canadian government officials did not have many contacts in Mr. Trump’s inner circle. Gerald Butts, principal secretary to Mr. Trudeau, reached out to Mr. Mulroney to seek advice. The former prime minister who is a neighbour of Mr. Trump’s in Palm Beach, Florida has friends and acquaintances in both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party and was “happy to help.” Mr. Mulroney has spoken to Mr. Trudeau numerous times and has offered advice.

In the run-up to Mr. Trudeau’s successful visit to Washington D.C. on Feb. 14, the source said, the Trudeau team consulted Mr. Mulroney regularly.

Mr. Mulroney, who served as prime minister from 1984-1993, currently is a senior partner with the law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright and spends a lot of time in New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida for business reasons.

Mr. McMillan said his former boss is one of the most well-connected Canadian politicians in the world, adding that political and business leaders reach out to the former prime minister on a regular basis. In the U.S., he said, Mr. Mulroney has had friendly relationships with all U.S. presidents going back to Ronald Regan, and other top politicians both in the Republican and Democratic parties. Mr. McMillan said Mr. Mulroney knows many members of Mr. Trump’s inner circle, including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

“It is hardly a surprise that he has known Donald Trump for many years, and many in his cabinet and circle of advisers, such as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Wilbur Ross, and energy secretary, Rick Perry, and VP Pence, just as`he was close with President Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, the late Senator Ted Kennedy and VP Joe Biden,” Mr. McMillan, who now is a professor of strategic management and international business at York University’s Schulich School of Business in Toronto, later wrote in an email to The Hill Times.

“Personally, I find that in a world of globalization, political and technological uncertainty, successful political incumbent political leaders seek out external advice and counsel from people like Brian Mulroney, especially when the advice is forthright, honest, and private.”

Mr. Mulroney recently sang When Irish Eyes are Smiling at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute fundraiser. In 1985, the former prime minister and his wife Mila joined then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy in singing this song at the “Shamrock Summit” in Québec City.

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to discuss any specifics related to Mr. Mulroney’s work in helping out the Trudeau government in Canada-U.S. relations.

“We are drawing upon advice from different Canadians who have offered to help, and we are pleased the former prime minister has been able to be helpful bridge to Republicans, including the president, underscoring the unique relationship between our two countries,” said PMO press secretary Cameron Ahmed in an email to The Hill Times. “The Prime Minister has spoken with the former prime minister on a few occasions, and we look forward to continuing to work with the former prime minister.”

Transport Minister Marc Garneau (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount, Que.), chair of the Cabinet Committee on Canada-United States Relations, also declined to discuss any specifics about Mr. Mulroney’s work, but confirmed that Mr. Mulroney is not getting paid for this work.

“He’s doing it as somebody who wants to foster good relationship [between the two countries],” said Mr. Garneau.

Mr. Garneau said he invited Mr. Mulroney to attend a meeting of the cabinet committee and talk to the members about Canada-U.S. relations. He added that the committee chose to invite the former prime minister in order to learn more from his political experience, knowledge, and contacts in the U.S. political and business communities. Members of the Canada-United States Relations Cabinet Committee include: Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.), Government House Leader Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Ont.), International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne (St-Maurice-Champlain, Que.), Science Minister Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Ont.), Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (University Rosedale, Ont.), Democratic Reform Minister Karina Gould (Burlington, Ont.), Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen (York South-Weston, Ont.), Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay (Cardigan, P.E. I.), Environment Minister Catherine McKenna (Ottawa Centre, Ont.) and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan (Vancouver South, B.C.).

“I will be inviting him and he will be coming to speak to the Canada-U.S. relations cabinet committee in the coming months, and, so we will have an opportunity to hear from him personally as a group,” said Mr. Garneau.

“It’s based on his experience and knowledge of business people and politicians in the United States.”

Mr. Mulroney has known Prime Minister Trudeau since he was a child. But, the relationship between the two has warmed up since 2013. At the time, Mr. Mulroney warned that no one should underestimate Mr. Trudeau as a politician.

“I’ve known Justin since he was a child. He’s young, articulate, attractive—a flawlessly bilingual young man. What’s not to like with this picture?” Mr. Mulroney told CTV in April 2013 and warned that anyone who “treats Justin Trudeau with scorn or derision or underestimates him, does so at his own peril.” He described Mr. Trudeau as “a man of some consequence” in the same interview.

Two months ago, the Government of France awarded Mr. Mulroney the highest civilian honour. At a ceremony at the French Embassy in Ottawa, Nicola Chapuis, the French ambassador presented the former prime minister the insignia of Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour for his efforts in promoting France-Canada relations and La Francophonie. Mr. Trudeau also attended this ceremony among others.

And in early December, Prime Minister Trudeau personally invited Mr. Mulroney at the farewell dinner for outgoing U.S. vice president Joe Biden in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, veteran Liberal MP Wayne Easter (Malpeque, P.E.I.), chairman of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, told The Hill Times that he supports Mr. Trudeau’s decision to seek help from Mulroney in promoting the Canada-U.S. relationship. He said that the Canadian and U.S. officials interact at several levels with each other, including Prime Minister to President, cabinet to cabinet, provincial premiers to state governors and parliamentarians to congressmen. He said all these interactions are important to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

“It’s a great move to bring in other players. This is an issue where partisan self interest shouldn’t come into [play],” Mr. Easter said. “This is about the interest of our economy in Canada and in North America and no one better than Brian Mulroney, who knows President Trump personally, to do what he can to help.”

arana@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times