The Liberals: A House Divided Introduction “I will fulfill my mandate and focus entirely on governing from now until February Focus 2004. At which time my work will be done and at which time my successor will be In an unprec- chosen. And then, at the age of 70, I will look back with great satisfaction as I take edented move against a sitting my rest with Aline, secure in the knowledge that the future of Canada is unlim- Canadian prime ited.” — Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, August 21, 2002 minister, a signifi- cant number of Struggle for Power media and political organizers, the buzz Liberal Party mem- The summer of 2002 will be remem- about his future grew louder and louder. bers appeared The Martin camp was particularly ready to vote bered for both the hot weather and the against Jean equally hot political battle waged within active in promoting their man for the Chrétien in a the ranks of the Liberal Party of next leadership campaign. They built a planned leadership Canada. Open political warfare raged powerful organization and raised sub- review next year. inside the heart of Canada’s most stantial funds. Incensed by this pressure The split in the to leave, Chrétien and Martin had a Liberal camp was successful political machine. A party highlighted this that traditionally rallied around its falling out, and Martin left cabinet. spring when Paul leader appeared ready to tear itself apart Liberals were increasingly divided Martin, one of the over the question of leadership. and feared an open battle at a planned main contenders to After the Liberal victory of 2000, convention to review Chrétien’s leader- replace the PM, attention was drawn to the question of ship in February 2003. Finally in was dismissed from August, Prime Minister Chrétien an- cabinet. Late in the succeeding Jean Chrétien. Even before summer the Prime the last election, prominent Liberals nounced that he would retire in Febru- Minister declared such as Allan Rock, Brian Tobin, and ary 2004, when he was 70 years old. To that he would not most importantly, Paul Martin had been some observers, this was an attempt to retire before laying plans for the next leadership frustrate Martin, since he would then be February 2004. The 65 years old and perhaps seen as party and nation convention. Chrétien, 63, was enraged now await a long by this as he was still the prime minister “yesterday’s man,” a tag that had battle for the and felt that until he announced his dogged his father’s failed campaign for leadership of the retirement, leadership hopefuls should the Liberal leadership. Both the Liberal Liberal Party. stay quiet and help him govern the Party and the nation await what appears country. When asked about his future, to be a long, brutal, divisive campaign to Chrétien seemed evasive. Among the win the leadership of the Liberal Party. To Consider What is your personal reaction to Prime Minister Chrétien’s deci- sion to retire in February 2004? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ CBC News in Review • September 2002 • Page 5 The Liberals: A House Divided Video Review 1. When has Jean Chrétien indicated he will step down from his role To learn more as prime minister? about this leader- ship struggle in the ___________________________________________________________ Liberal Party, view the video and record your an- ___________________________________________________________ swers to the ques- tions on this and 2. Why did Jean Chrétien enter politics? the next page. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 3. What prompted the Prime Minister to announce his pending retirement? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 4. What is unusual about the current challenge to the Prime Minister’s leadership? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 5. What kind of a role did Paul Martin play in the 2000 election? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 6. What threat did Prime Minister Chrétien make to cabinet minis- ters for campaigning prematurely for the Liberal leadership? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 7. How did Paul Martin find out about his removal from cabinet? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ CBC News in Review • September 2002 • Page 6 8. Why would a leadership review be difficult for Jean Chrétien? Web Sites In order to keep ___________________________________________________________ track of political events, you might consider visiting ___________________________________________________________ the official Web sites of the follow- 9. How did Meech Lake and the Quebec issue divide Chrétien and ing federal Cana- Martin in the 1990 Liberal leadership race? dian political parties. Remember ___________________________________________________________ that three of these parties (Liberal, NDP and PC) are ___________________________________________________________ currently engaged in a search for new 10. What other political leaders have recently announced they are leaders. stepping down? Bloc Québecois ___________________________________________________________ www.blocquebecois.org and _______________________________________________________ Canadian Alliance www.canadianalliance.ca 11. How might an 18-month delay in the change of leadership hurt the chances of Paul Martin? Bloc Québecois www.blocquebecois.org ___________________________________________________________ Liberal Party of Canada ___________________________________________________________ www.liberal.ca New Democratic ___________________________________________________________ Party of Canada www.ndp.ca ___________________________________________________________ Progressive Conservative Party ___________________________________________________________ of Canada www.pcparty.ca ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ CBC News in Review • September 2002 • Page 7 The Liberals: A House Divided Background: Partners and Rivals The Liberal duo of Jean Chrétien and From 1974 to 1977 Chrétien held a Paul Martin, one of the most successful number of posts, including Treasury teams in Canadian politics, have led Board and Industry, before being ap- their party to three successive victories pointed Canada’s first francophone at the polls and a continuing command- minister of finance (1977-1979). His ing lead over all other Canadian politi- term as Finance Minister was difficult. cal parties. Yet the tensions and rival- The country was experiencing a reces- ries between the two run deep. This sion and he could not effectively ad- year, they clearly threatened the unity dress the growing deficit. His term as of the Liberal Party of Canada. These minister ended with the election in 1979 brief biographies suggest some of the of Joe Clark and the Progressive Con- similarities and differences of the two servative Party. politicians. Nine months later the short-lived PC government fell and a new election Jean Chrétien returned Pierre Trudeau and the Liber- Born in 1934 to a working-class family, als to power. Jean Chrétien was given Jean Chrétien was driven to achieve in the Ministry of Justice, a most demand- school and graduated with a law degree ing portfolio at the time due to the in 1958 from Université Laval in Que- Quebec referendum challenge to na- bec. He developed a successful law tional unity. Chrétien assisted the PM in practice in his hometown of Shawinigan addressing the constitutional demands and soon began his work in the Liberal of the provinces and developing a Party. In 1963, Chrétien, “the little guy Charter of Rights and Freedoms for the from Shawinigan,” won a surprise country. In the process, all provinces victory in the largely working-class except Quebec signed the new constitu- riding of Saint-Maurice-LaFlèche and tion, causing Jean Chrétien to lose entered Parliament. support in his home province. In 1982, In short order he began his rise Trudeau appointed Jean Chrétien Min- among Liberals. By 1965 he was the ister of Energy, Mines and Resources. Parliamentary Secretary to Prime In 1984 Pierre Trudeau resigned as Minister Pearson. Later that same year prime minister. The resulting leadership he transferred to assist the Finance race had two frontrunners, Jean Minister, Mitchell Sharp, who became a Chrétien and John Turner. Turner was a friend and mentor. In 1967 he was first former leading Liberal MP who had left appointed to cabinet. In 1968 Pierre office several years before to practise Trudeau, the new PM, appointed law. The Liberal Party has a long Chrétien to the tough portfolio of Indian tradition of alternating between English