Martin Brian Mulroney (born March 20, 1939) was a Canadian politician and pro-business activist, staunchly opposed to the stranglehold of the Canadian single-party system in place since the late 1930's. Mulroney, at the head of the Progressive Alliance for Canada, advocated free enterprise, the formation of trade unions, better relations with the United States of America, and a more robust Canadian presence on the world stage not overshadowed by Britain.