Milica "Mila" Mulroney (Serbian Cyrillic: Милица "Мила" Пивнички; née Pivnički; born July 13, 1953) is the widow of the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney. She was notable for taking on a greater role during her husband's tenure than previous spouses of Canadian prime ministers, for her work for children's charities, and for criticism of her lavish spending habits.[1]
Early life
Mulroney was born Milica Pivnički to SerbianOrthodox parents Dimitrije "Mita" [sr] and Bogdanka (née Ilić) in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. Her first years were spent in the city of Sarajevo where her father practised medicine. In 1956, Dr. Pivnički took a research fellowship position at the Royal Victoria Hospital'sAllan Memorial Institute of Psychiatry in Montreal. While his pregnant wife Bogdanka waited to join him, she moved with young Milica back to their hometown of Novi Bečej, Serbia. Finally, two years later, in 1958, she and their two children (five-year-old Milica and one-year-old Jovan) emigrated to Canada and joined Dimitrije in Montreal. Mila, the elder child, studied engineering at Concordia University, but did not graduate.[2]
At age 19, she married Brian Mulroney, then a 34-year-old lawyer, on May 26, 1973. Both were involved with the Progressive Conservatives (PC) in Westmount. They have one daughter, Caroline, and three sons, Ben, Mark, and Nicolas. Their youngest child, Nicolas, was born while the family was living in 24 Sussex Drive.[3][4][5]
During Brian Mulroney tenure
Mila was a radical change from the wives of recent prime ministers—the feminist Maureen McTeer and Margaret Trudeau. Being a housewife, she greatly appealed to that demographic, especially in her responses to criticism from prominent feminists (including, in 1987, remarks from Sheila Copps).[citation needed]
Many PC campaign buttons featured both Mulroney's face and hers, and OntarioPremierBill Davis commented to Brian, "Mila will get you more votes for you than you will for yourself."[6]
She assumed a greater role than many Prime Ministers' wives while Mulroney was in office by campaigning for several children's charities. Her role, which some claimed was trying to become a "First Lady", was criticized (especially when she hired a personal office and staff and for her redecoration of the Prime Minister's residence).[citation needed] Her shopping became tabloid fodder, with some in the press dubbing her "Imelda" for her love of shoes (she had over 100 pairs).[7] In her book On the Take, Stevie Cameron accused Mila of trying to sell her old furniture to the government for much more than its value.[citation needed]
