I think the government has to reposition environment on top of their national and international priorities.

In this quote, Brian Mulroney is advocating for a shift in government priorities, urging that environmental issues be placed at the forefront of both national and international agendas. He suggests that addressing the environment should be seen as a primary concern, reflecting the growing urgency of tackling issues like climate change, pollution, and resource depletion. For Mulroney, this would mean making sustainable policies and environmental protection integral to governmental action.

The origin of this quote can be traced to Mulroney's tenure as the Prime Minister of Canada, during which he played a role in the environmental dialogue on both the national and global stages. His government was involved in significant steps toward environmental conservation, including the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, which included environmental considerations. This quote reflects his belief that environmental issues should no longer be secondary concerns but rather central to policy-making at all levels.

Mulroney’s statement also speaks to the need for global cooperation in addressing environmental challenges. He implies that environmental problems are interconnected and do not recognize national borders, making them a critical issue for international diplomacy. By placing the environment at the top of the agenda, Mulroney suggests that governments would have a better chance of creating meaningful change in a rapidly warming world.

In essence, the quote calls for a reassessment of political priorities, urging that the environment be treated with the urgency it requires. Mulroney’s message is clear: it is not enough to consider environmental issues as peripheral; they must be integrated into every aspect of national and international policy moving forward.