Former prime minister Brian Mulroney says he would hold a Royal Commission on missing and murdered aboriginal women if he were Canada鈥檚 leader today, in a sharp rebuke of Stephen Harper.

In a wide-ranging interview with CTV鈥檚 Power Play host Don Martin, Mulroney said it鈥檚 an important issue that needs to be examined. 

Harper has rejected calls for a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women, saying the cases should be viewed as crimes and are not a 鈥渟ociological phenomenon.鈥�

Mulroney, who won the largest majority government in Canadian history 30 years ago, said Thursday he can see both sides of the debate.

鈥淏ut if I were there, I wouldn鈥檛 hesitate,鈥� he said.  鈥淚 would have a Royal Commission into aboriginal issues of this kind because of the sensitivity and the importance to aboriginals at this particular time in their evolution.鈥�

When Mulroney鈥檚 Progressive Conservatives were in power, he appointed the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1991. The final 4,000-page report was published five years later, with numerous recommendations for long-term changes aimed at improving the lives of Canadian aboriginals and their relationship with Ottawa.

Mulroney said the Liberal government under Jean Chretien 鈥渄idn鈥檛 act upon鈥� some of those recommendations. 

鈥淏ut that doesn鈥檛 mean that a more tightly designed Royal Commission now wouldn鈥檛 have beneficial effects,鈥� he said.

Mulroney critical of Harper鈥檚 actions

Mulroney didn鈥檛 hold back when asked about the Harper government鈥檚 approach to key issues, including the environment and foreign affairs.

After Canada lost its bid for a seat on the UN Security Council to Portugal, 鈥測ou should look in the mirror and say: 鈥楬ouston, I think we have a problem,鈥欌�� Mulroney said.

He singled out John Baird as an 鈥渆xceptionally talented鈥� foreign affairs minister, but said Canada鈥檚 foreign affairs approach 鈥渉as to be enveloped in a broader and more generous sweep that takes in Canadian traditions and Canadian history in a much more viable way.鈥�

Mulroney suggested that Harper doesn鈥檛 have a close relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama, saying that a prime minister doesn鈥檛 鈥渉ave much clout internationally鈥� without a solid rapport with the White House.

The former prime minister also sounded off on Harper鈥檚 spat with Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin.

Harper had suggested that McLachlin behaved inappropriately when she tried to flag potential problems with Federal Court Judge Marc Nadon鈥檚 appointment to the Supreme Court .

"You don't get into a slagging contest with the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, even if you thought that he or she was wrong," Mulroney said.

Conservatives have to be 鈥榗areful鈥� ahead of election: Mulroney

Mulroney also weighed in on next year鈥檚 federal election, calling Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau a formidable opponent who should not be underestimated.

鈥淲hen somebody is leading in the polls 14 months in a row, this is not a fluke,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he prime minister and his colleagues are going to have to be pretty vigilant here.鈥�

Mulroney said Trudeau is a 鈥渄ifferent kettle of fish鈥� compared to former Liberal leaders Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff.

He said Trudeau鈥檚 charisma may be just what the voters need after 10 years of Harper government.  He said the Tories have to be 鈥渃areful鈥� when it comes to Trudeau because even though Harper is a 鈥渢ough, strong principled individual,鈥� Canadians 鈥� and especially the middle class 鈥� are looking for change.

Critics say that Trudeau doesn鈥檛 have a program, but 鈥渉is program is that he鈥檚 not Stephen Harper,鈥� Mulroney said.

鈥淚 won because I wasn鈥檛 Pierre Trudeau. And then Jean Chretien 10 years later won because he wasn鈥檛 Brian Mulroney. So it鈥檚 part of a desire for change, which is normal.鈥�

Mulroney also cautioned against dismissing NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair鈥檚 chances in 2015, calling him 鈥渢he best opposition leader since John Diefenbaker.鈥�

鈥淭he idea that this is going to be a two-party tap dance is wrong,鈥� he said.