Tuesday, August 6, 2002
Jean and me - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- If you must know, Jean Chrétien and I were never so hostile towards one another. When he became Prime Minister in 1993, and I was yet unaffiliated politically, I penned him a letter. Because it was so long ago, when I was actually a kid, and I naïve as hell, I don’t remember what I actually had writ to the newly minted Liberal PM, after nine and a half years of Torydom. Looking back, going deep into the old memory vault, I probably asked for an autograph, as I was then madly collecting the mugs and signatures of the famous and legendary. I probably thought one could do no harm in getting the signature of only the holder of this country’s highest office.
Well soon after, I got a package in the mail from Mr. Chrétien himself. He lavished your humble correspondent with a couriered package of swag. A warmly penned letter covered a Canadian flag pin, an autographed photo, a glossy information package on Canada and her symbols, plus a piece of paper bearing the seal of the PM with merely his signature. A while later, I wrote the PM again, and he wrote back another warm letter, where amongst other things he extolled the virtues of his old boss Pierre Trudeau. I have both of his letters in my files somewhere, but along the way the cordial correspondence between us has chilled. As I grew up I became politically aware. Since this column’s inception I’ve become a detractor of the Prime Minister’s and I remain a critic, though the man has been rather kind to me. I think that’s the miracle of democracy and politics in these parts. Recently, I got a copy of Chrétien’s own autobiography which he wrote in 1986. I sent it to him and he very kindly signed it to me. So there is some level of congeniality with him.
I’ve never voted for Jean Chrétien and his party, because their policies for this country have been nothing but for the perpetuation of power for himself and his party. No great achievement is there for this government after nearly a decade in power. Trudeau in 16 years brought Canada a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Mulroney in nine years brought us NAFTA. Though both achievements have their flaws, Jean Chrétien hasn’t attempted anything remotely beneficial to the making of this country, for better or worse. Even though Mulroney’s own legacy is clouded by his rampant personal unpopularity, at least he had the intestinal fortitude, the guts, to make unpopular decisions.
Since 1993, what has happened to this country, under the leadership of Jean Chrétien? Well, there’s the fact -- irrespective of the government’s actual power in determining this -- the dollar has been devalued to 60 cents or so American. Note too the news of recent months, of this government engulfed in questionable behaviour -- a culture of corruption. And if we blame Mulroney for the GST -- Which by the way, was a tax that was around before Mulroney; it was a tax that was hidden in the price of goods. The Tory government merely brought the tax out so that consumers could see it -- it is Jean Chrétien himself who has reaped the rewards of collecting that hated 7%. The GST is responsible for the balanced budgets we have in this country. The budget, too was balanced on the backs of the poor, who’ve seen services across this country cut in the last decade. Also note that transfer payments to the provinces have been reduced, and the share of healthcare spending has gone from 50-50 between the provinces, to something like 80-20. Whilst Jean Chrétien helped the federalist forces (as Trudeau’s attorney general) sway the vote in 1980 during the referendum over separation in Quebec; under his watch as Prime Minister, the country was nearly broken apart in 1995. 50.4% No, 49.6% Yes. Come on.
Jean Chrétien’s inaction has been his legacy. And that’s a little sad as he governed during a period of great possibility for this country. Now, his own party wants his head. Paul Martin is ready to take over, so’s John Manley, Alan Rock and Shelia Copps. As Martin campaigns in an unofficial and yet-to-be called race, we can see how his party is ready to welcome their current leader’s departure. Chrétien faces a leadership review in February. Would Liberals say ‘yes’ to a leadership race (which is possible, because Liberals are restless with Chrétien) we should see if Chrétien will fight to keep his job. He says he won’t run, so if the Grits say ‘yes’ to a new leadership convention, we could see Jean Chrétien forced out of office, rejected by his own party. (That happened to Mrs. Thatcher in Britain over a decade ago.) Then again, he did bring the Grits to three majority wins.
My own judgement on Jean Chrétien is mixed. In ways he was that little guy from Shawinigan who made good. Then again, as a Prime Minister he hasn’t done much but fumble his way through 10 years of hardly anything remarkable. Sometimes he was an awkward bully who ended up making a mess of things. Sometimes he was a thug who was relentless, contemptible and bitter. Unlike Trudeau, you can actually think of Chrétien in an ambivalent light. That ain’t much of a legacy when you’ve been in power for a decade, and you appear to want more.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .