'My compass': Ben Mulroney, son of late prime minister, reflects on his father's legacy

Ben Mulroney says his father would be happy to see how Canadians have come together in the wake of his death – and how his time in office, both personally and politically, made lives better for people in Canada and around the world.

"Dad would love a day like today," Ben said of Brian Mulroney, Canada's 18th prime minister, who died at age 84 on Feb. 29, and who will lie in state Tuesday and Wednesday on Parliament Hill.

Ben Mulroney reflected on his father's legacy in an interview Tuesday with Vassy Kapelos, host of CTV News Channel's Power Play.

"I miss his laugh, I miss talking to him on the phone, I miss kissing him right on the forehead," Ben said, taking a brief pause to gather himself before continuing. "He always had a kind word, he always had a kind word."

Looking back, Ben says while he'll miss how his dad loved being the punchline of a family joke, he knows he'll always have his father's wisdom to guide him.

"He had a moral clarity to him. And so having him as my compass, I think, will serve me very well."

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In the days since Mulroney's death, stories have circulated of his yearslong habit of making personal phone calls to friends, colleagues and even political opponents. This impact on people's lives is something that Ben says he still doesn't fully comprehend, but one that rings true.

"If someone was having a bad day, he could help lift them up, and if somebody was having a great day, he could help celebrate them … It served him well in politics, but it was by no means a political skill."

Serving from 1984 to 1993 in the country's top job, praise for Mulroney's accomplishments has poured in from across the political spectrum, a consensus of support not always found during his time as prime minister.

"[It's been] wonderful to see people from all walks of life and different political parties putting down their swords and appreciating his passion, appreciating his dedication, appreciating his love of Canada; appreciating the work that he did on behalf of others," Ben said.

• Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney

To Ben, who was eight years old when his father took office, it's a sign that the elder Mulroney's conviction to put policy before the polls has paid off.

"He knew that he had political capital; he wanted to spend it on the things that were going to help Canadians in the long run," Ben said. "By God, I think he did it."

Tuesday's lying-in-state ceremony featured dignitaries, as well as members of the Canadian public, looking to pay their respects.

Among them: a former member of Mulroney's security detail, paying tribute to the late prime minister for the person he was outside of politics.

Ben says those kinds of human connections are born from a life and career that took his father from the North Shore in Quebec to the halls of Parliament.

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"He was able to force doors open that would have otherwise been closed to him. And I think he appreciated being on the other side of that door, and wanted to make sure that if anybody came knocking, he was there to open the door for them," Ben said. "He was there to be welcoming to them."

Watch the full interview with Ben Mulroney at the top of the article. Ben Mulroney is a former co-host of CTV's Your Morning and etalk.

With files from CTV News Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello and Parliamentary Bureau Writer, Producer Spencer Van Dyk