Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien is a lawyer and politician from Canada who served as Prime Minister from November 1993 until December 2003. Chretien was born and reared in Quebec and studied law before entering politics in 1963, when he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons. He is well-known for his contributions to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the Charters of Rights and Freedom in Canada. Being in the good graces of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau aided Jean’s advancement through the cabinet, including Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He was designated the 20th Prime Minister of Canada after becoming the head of the Liberal Party in 1990 and winning elections in 1993. He held the position until 2003. During Jean’s tenure as Prime Minister of Canada, the federal government saw its first surplus in more than 30 years. It wasn’t all roses, though, as Jean decided to send Canadian troops to assist the United States in the war against Afghanistan, but declined to do so during the subsequent American invasion of Iraq, polarizing his followers.
Childhood and Adolescence
Jean Chretien was one of Marie and Wellie Chretien’s 19 children, born on January 11, 1934, in Quebec, Canada. His father was a staunch Canadian patriot who backed war activities during WWII, making him a divisive yet powerful character.
This was in the 1940s when most Canadian-French people were opposed to the war, but Wellie stuck to his ideals, establishing him as a strong-willed guy and making his family outcasts.
Jean Chretien, who inherited his father’s strong will and proclivity for aggression, was a feared young man in the neighborhood, who would never back down from a confrontation and could easily scare away men considerably older than him.
Jean was an aggressive youngster who liked to bully his lesser peers for enjoyment, according to one of his classmates from school.
Jean was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy when he was 12 years old, which caused one side of his face to become immobile. But, as a self-assured man, Jean always joked about it and never took it seriously.
He enjoyed reading and discussing politics, and he would attend rallies and distribute brochures for his favorite politician’s campaigns even while still in school.
Jean graduated from Laval University with a legal degree in 1959 and began working for a political business in Shawinigan. However, his support for the Liberal Party and great interest in politics never wavered, and he began working in Canadian politics in the early 1960s while restarting his law business.
Career in Politics
Jean Chretien ran for and won a seat in the House of Commons in 1963, and he fought for the Liberal Party with everything he had.
He was appointed to the cabinet of then-Prime Minister Lester Pearson and eventually became the minister of national revenue. When Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister, Jean’s portfolio grew to include the Treasury Board, industry, trade, commerce, finance, energy, minerals, and resources, as well as aboriginal affairs.
Jean was appointed Minister of Justice in 1980 and continued to rise in prominence as a result of his acute intellect and diligent attitude.
His passionate and emotive lectures were well-received by both locals and visitors to Quebec. During his time as Minister of Justice, he took a number of bold steps, including the patriation of the Canadian constitution and the enactment of Charters of Rights and Freedom.
Jean became one of the leading contenders for the Liberal Party leadership in the mid-1980s, thanks to his popularity with his peers and the broader public. John Turner was the front-runner for the position of leader, and rightfully so; he was officially appointed as the party’s leader in 1986.
Jean quit his seat in the House of Commons and practiced law privately for a while, dissatisfied with this. He stated that he intended to focus on himself for a period of time and that he worked on his autobiography, ‘Straight from the Heart,’ which became a bestseller almost immediately after its release.
Following his second defeat against the Conservatives, John Turner resigned from the party leadership in 1990, and this time, despite a stiff challenge from Paul Martin, Jean was elected party leader and returned to the House of Commons.
The Liberal Party was at its lowest point when Jean took charge, but he managed to pull it together in time for the 1993 elections. During the election campaign, his party focused on job creation, and as part of the campaign, ‘The Red Book’ was issued, in which Jean responded to the criticisms leveled at him and his party.
All of the hard work paid off, and the Liberal Party won handily, while the Conservative Party, led by Kim Campbell, suffered a crushing defeat.
Jean took the oath as Canada’s 20th Prime Minister on November 4, 1993, at a time when the country appeared to be in jeopardy due to a significant annual deficit, a massive national debt, and tax rates that were unpopular with the general public.
Jean was well aware that he would have to make some painful choices in order to get his country out of its predicament, and he did so.
During his first stint as Prime Minister, Jean slashed federal spending, which included provincial subsidies. However, the need for the Goods and Service Tax was felt, and Jean had no choice but to retain it in place, despite his vows to repeal it.
Regardless of how controversial such decisions were, the country experienced a surplus in less than 5 years, something it hadn’t seen in 30 years. Jean’s ‘Team Canada’ excursions took him to a variety of nations to promote economic cooperation and commerce. Jean became a close ally of Bill Clinton, the President of the United States.
In 1997, federal elections were held, and the Liberal Party triumphed again, thanks to the apparent economic rebound under the Liberal Party’s reign. Following that, Jean focused his emphasis on domestic politics, as a new Canadian Alliance Party, led by Stockwell Day, was forming around 2000, combining the Reform Party and the Conservative Party.
Jean struck them while they were preparing for an election, and the Liberal Party won a third straight election with a landslide victory.
The relationship with the United States of America was a major concern during Jean’s third tenure as Prime Minister. Although Canada was doing well financially, its military forces were not in a strong position due to massive exports to the United States.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States launched a war against Afghanistan, and Canada collected whatever armed troops it could to assist the United States.
Things changed when America attacked Iraq, and Jean declined to deploy Canadian troops to back the US, a decision that was widely praised by the public but caused a stir within the Liberal Party, which Paul Martin exploited to turn party insiders against Jean.
Tired of the politics and blame games, Jean stepped down as head of the Liberal Party in December 2003, allowing Martin to succeed him as Prime Minister.
Jean never entirely retired from politics, and he continued to speak out against policies that he did not believe we’re in the best interests of the country.
Following her retirement, Jean volunteered with a number of organizations, including the World Leadership Alliance, a group of former presidents and prime ministers that address the difficulties that democratic countries face. He is also a member of the Chirac Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to international peace.
Personal Experiences of Jean Chrétien
In September 1957, Jean Chretien married Aline Chaine, with whom he has three children: a daughter, France, and two boys, Hubert and Michel Chretien. France Chretien, their daughter, is a prominent lawyer.
Estimated net worth
Jean is one of the wealthiest World Leaders and one of the most loved. Jean Chretien’s net worth is estimated to be $7 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.