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Jean Chrétien

The Right Honourable
Jean Chrétien
PC OM CC QC
Jean Chretien 2010.jpg
Chrétien in May 2010
20th Prime Minister of Canada
In office
November 4, 1993 – December 12, 2003
Monarch Elizabeth II
Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn
Roméo LeBlanc
Adrienne Clarkson
Deputy Sheila Copps (1993–1996, 1996–1997)
Herb Gray (1997–2002)
John Manley (2002–2003)
Preceded by Kim Campbell
Succeeded by Paul Martin
Leader of the Opposition
In office
December 21, 1990 – November 4, 1993
Monarch Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Kim Campbell
Preceded by Herb Gray (Acting)
Succeeded by Lucien Bouchard
2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
18th Secretary for External Affairs
In office
June 30, 1984 – September 17, 1984
Prime Minister John Turner
Preceded by Allan MacEachen
Succeeded by Erik Nielsen (Deputy PM)
Joe Clark (External Affairs)
7th Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
In office
September 10, 1982 – June 30, 1984
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Marc Lalonde
Succeeded by Gerald Regan
36th Minister of Justice
In office
March 3, 1980 – September 9, 1982
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Jacques Flynn
Succeeded by Mark MacGuigan
27th Minister of Finance
In office
September 16, 1977 – June 4, 1979
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Donald Stovel Macdonald
Succeeded by John Crosbie
4th Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce
In office
September 14, 1976 – September 15, 1977
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Don Jamieson
Succeeded by Jack Horner
3rd President of the Treasury Board
In office
August 8, 1974 – September 13, 1976
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Charles Drury
Succeeded by Bob Andras
2nd Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
In office
July 5, 1968 – August 7, 1974
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Arthur Laing
Succeeded by Judd Buchanan
13th Minister of National Revenue
In office
January 18, 1968 – July 5, 1968
Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson
Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by Edgar Benson
Succeeded by Jean-Pierre Côté
Minister without portfolio
In office
1967 – January 18, 1968
Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson
Preceded by John Turner
Member of Parliament
for Saint-Maurice
In office
October 25, 1993 – December 12, 2003
Preceded by Denis Pronovost
Succeeded by Marcel Gagnon
Member of Parliament
for Beauséjour
In office
December 10, 1990 – October 25, 1993
Preceded by Fernand Robichaud
Succeeded by Fernand Robichaud
Member of Parliament for
Saint-Maurice—Laflèche (1963–1968)
Saint-Maurice (1968–1986)
In office
April 8, 1963 – February 27, 1986
Preceded by Gérard Lamy
Succeeded by Gilles Grondin
Personal details
Born Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien
(1934-01-11) January 11, 1934 (age 83)
Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Aline Chrétien
Relations Michel Chrétien (brother)
Raymond Chrétien (nephew)
Children 3, including France Chrétien Desmarais
Alma mater Université Laval
Occupation Lawyer
Religion Roman Catholicism
Signature

Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien PC OM CC QC (born January 11, 1934), known commonly as Jean Chrétien (French pronunciation: ​[ʒɑ̃ kʁetjɛ̃]), is a Canadian politician and statesman who served as the 20th Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003.

Born and raised in Shawinigan, Quebec, Chrétien is a law graduate from Université Laval. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1963. He served in various cabinet posts under prime minister Pierre Trudeau, most prominently as Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He also served as deputy prime minister in John Turner's short-lived government. He became leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1990, and led the party to a majority government in the 1993 federal election. He was re-elected with further majorities in 1997 and 2000.

Chrétien was strongly opposed to the Quebec sovereignty movement and supported official bilingualism and multiculturalism. He won a narrow victory as leader of the federalist camp in the 1995 Quebec Referendum, and then pioneered the Clarity Act to avoid ambiguity in future referendum questions. He also advanced the Youth Criminal Justice Act in Parliament. Although his popularity and that of the Liberal Party were seemingly unchallenged for three consecutive federal elections, he became subject to various political controversies in the later years of his premiership. He was accused of inappropriate behaviour in the Sponsorship scandal, although he has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He also became embroiled in a protracted struggle within the Liberal Party against long-time political rival Paul Martin. He resigned as prime minister in December 2003, and left public life. In retroactive polling, Chrétien ranks highly among both scholars and the public.


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