Joseph Jacques Jean Chretien is the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in a position as a Prime Minister from 1993 to 2003. Chretien's greatest advantage was his long years of experience in Parliament and Cabinet. In a government or an opposition, Chretien had served with six Prime Ministers and held twelve ministerial positions. As a Liberal Party member, Chretien sat in Parliament for twenty-seven years (Canada.ca).
On 11th January, 1934, Chretien was born in Shawinigan, Quebec. In his family, he was the 18th out of nineteen children to Wellie and Marie Chretien. In Chretien's childhood days, he had suffered with poliomyelitis, leaving him deaf in his right ear and a slightly twisted mouth. Even though his school grades were fair,
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his parents were determined to send him to classical college, Trois-Rivieres, which was provided him a good education (Canada.ca). After graduating, Chretien attended Laval University, where he studied law. In 1958, Chretien, then, was called to Quebec Bar and set up his law office in Shawinigan. He worked in his law office for four years before entering politic (Means). In 1963, Chretien won an election to the House of Commons as a Liberal, which "began Chrétien's early career, during which he served under Prime Ministers Lester Bowles Pearson and Pierre Elliott Trudeau" (Bothwell). Chretien served as an appointed parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Pearson in 1965 and a minister without any portfolio in 1967. Under Prime Minister Trudeau, Chretien served as minister of national revenue in 1968. He, then, became minister of Indian affairs and northern development from 1968 to 1974 and minister of finance from 1977 to 1979 (Britannica Biographies). When Trudeau resigned in 1984, Chretien was defeated by John Turner for the position of leader in the Liberal party. Shortly, he resigned from the House of Commons in 1896 and resumed his career as a lawyer. Four years later, Chretien returned to political career and took over the leadership of the Liberal party since Turner resigned after losing two elections. As a leader of Opposition, Chretien's first job was to rebuild and reunite the Liberal Party because the party itself had been divided since the retirement of Trudeau (films.nfb.ca). From the Tory government to new parties of Reform and Bloc Quebecois, Chretien won the election against Kim Campbell in 1993. He became the 20th Prime Minister of Canada on November 4th. During Chretien's first term of being Prime Minister, Chretien was partially unfortunate when it came to the enduring issue of Quebec separatism.
In the Quebec referendum of 1995, the federalist forces were defeated as many voters rejected the idea of separatism and the Clarity Act was enacted, which set out the government rules for negotiating sovereignty with Quebec (Hillmer & Azzi). Therefore, Chretien's role in the campaign was badly criticized (Bothwell).On the other hand, Chretien officially approved North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In 1998, he was able to eliminate a massive debt, reduce the taxes, and produce Canada's first balanced budget since 1970 (Means). Even though the Liberal Party had difficult situations with its economics, Chretien led various "Team Canada" trade missions to different countries …show more content…
(Bothwell). In 1997, Chretien called a federal election for June 2nd and he won. In his second term, Chretien appointed Lloyd Axwothy as minister of finance in 1996. With Axworthy, the government focused on human security of its foreign policy and Chretien supported him in his campaign against anti-personnel land mines, which was successful (films.nfb.ca). Thus, Chretien agreed to sign the Kyoto Protocol for reducing the nation's greenhouse emissions but only officially signed it in 2002 due to many Canadian businesses believing that the bill would affect the revenues (Means). Additionally, Canada supported NATO's bombing in the Kosovo War in 1999, which was NATO’s first aggressive action against a sovereign state (films.nfb.ca). In the election of 2000, Chretien was the first Canadian Prime Minister since 1945 to win three consecutive majorities.
In his third term, the main problem was Chretien's relations with the United States, where "Canada was overwhelmingly dependent on an American market for its exports, a fact that during the peaceful 1990s posed no great problem" (Bothwell). Because of the 9/11 attack, the American borders became a serious issue and Canada supported the Americans. However, because of neglect and underfunding for decades, Canada had a weak armed forces and limited resources for the Afghan War (Bothwell). In the early 2002, Chretien sent the troops for the Afghan War, but refused to engage with Americans in the Iraq War without authorization from the UN Security Council (Bothwell). Although it was a good decision for Canadian citizens, he became unpopular with the United States. Chretien, then, announced that he would retire as a prime minister at the end of 2003 due to "his support dwindling, his international reputation damaged, and his peers anxious to take his job" (Means). In the end, Chretien officially resigned on December 12th,
2003. Overall, Chretien faced his great challenges as a leader of Canada, especially his lacking performance in Quebec separatism. Besides his campaign in Quebec separatism, many Canadian citizens believe Chretien was an effective leader as he successfully eliminated the dept, disjoined the Americans for the Iraq war, and introduced the Clarity Act. Like John A. MacDonald, Chretien always believed in a united Canada, which is why his government was centrally strong (films.nfb.ca). For the first time, Prime Minister Chretien was a winner as he won three consecutive majorities. As a result, he successfully shaped Canada by how he was able to provide the economic, monetary, constitutional, international, and national security. Accordingly, Canadian citizen were satisfied with Chretien’s government. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Chretien to the Order of Merit in 2009.
...e to power in Quebec. This indicates that Quebecers supported non-violent methods in order to achieve independence for Quebec, rather than the violent methods of the FLQ, also indicating that the efforts of the FLQ would have been subdued by the Parti Quebecois. The death of Pierre Laporte was another unfortunate occurrence as a result of the War Measures Act which could have been avoided, yet some still believe his death is not related to the invocation of the War Measures Act. Justification is required for all actions which spark debate, and in events where the justification is provided under false pretences, someone must be held responsible. In this case it remains the Trudeau government. Trudeau may have had an admirable political career in which he made many wise decisions, however, the invocation of the War Measures Act in October 1970 was not one of them.
Smith, Gordon. “Canada in Afghanistan: Is it working?” Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, 2007.
The years following the Second World War were bleak in regards to Canada's future as a country, with the public and politicians alike set against each other, but soon a Québec man by the name of René Lévesque entered journalism, and then politics, voicing his views for all to hear, with great success and vigour. Though obstacles presented themselves often in his life, he changed the views of Québec, Canada and the world as a whole. René Lévesque was a passionate and charismatic politician who greatly contributed to post-war Québec and even today through his beliefs in separatism, founding the Parti Québecois and passing Bill 101.
“Just watch me.”Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau said in 1970. He meant it as he fought to keep Quebec a part of Canada. Not only did he do that, he managed to be prime minister for 16 years, as well as being Canada’s youngest leader at the time. He brought greater civil rights to Canadians, Quebec citizens mainly. His charismatic personality matched his innovative ideas, that enhanced Canada for the better. For his entire political career, not only did Canada watch him, the whole world watched him change the country for the better. He made a radical change to Canada by championing the idea of officially implementing bilingualism. Trudeau was a trailblazer from the moment he was elected.
A century ago, Canada was under control by the British Empire. The battles we fought the treaties we signed and the disputes we solved all helped us gain independence from our mother country “Britain”. Canadians fought a long battle protecting others, and from these battles we gained our peaceful reputation and our independence from Britain. Canada became a nation on July, 1st 1867. Although we were an independent country, our affairs and treaties were all still signed by Britain. In the next years Canada would establish its own government, and lead its own affairs. Many important events led to Canada’s independence, one of the earliest signals that Canada wanted to establish autonomy was the Chanak affair of 1921. In addition the battle of Normandy, which occurred on June 6 1944, contributed to the autonomy of Canada. The Suez Canal Crisis, which took place in the year 1956, earned Canada a place in the media spotlight, displaying Canada as a peaceful country that deserves the right to be independent. One of the final steps that aided with Canada’s independence from Britain was the Canada Act of 1982. Independence from Britain steadily increased throughout the 20th century because of political decisions made in Canada.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau was arguably one of the most vivacious and charismatic Prime Ministers Canada has ever seen. He wore capes, dated celebrities and always wore a red rose boutonniere. He looked like a superhero, and often acted like one too. Some of the landmark occurrences in Canadian history all happened during the Trudeau era, such as patriating the constitution, creating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the 1980 Quebec Referendum. However, it is Trudeau’s 1969 “white paper” and the Calder legal challenge which many consider to be one of his most influential contributions to Canadian history.
Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was a prominent figure in Canada in the 1960s. Pearson was Canada's most significant post WWII prime minister because of his government's many innovations that still benefit Canadians today. He fostered Canadian nationalism, which continues to the present day, promoted equality throughout Canada – equality that now thrives as part of Canada's identity – and he introduced many social services that are still implemented today.
The Quebec referendum that was held in 1995 was a second round of vote that was meant to give the residents of the Quebec province in Canada the chance to determine whether they wanted to secede from Canada and thus establish Quebec as a sovereign state. Quebec has had a long history of wanting to secede from Canada, considering that it is the Canadian providence that is predominantly inhabited by the French-speaking people, whose political relationship with the rest of the Canadian provinces, mostly inhabited by the English-speaking people has been characterized by conflicting ideologies . Thus, the 1995 referendum was not the first political attempt to have Quebec gain its own independence. The discussion holds that the Quebec 1995 referendum would have had both positive and negative implications. Therefore, this discussion seeks to analyze the political consequences that would have f...
Canada’s parliamentary system is designed to preclude the formation of absolute power. Critics and followers of Canadian politics argue that the Prime Minister of Canada stands alone from the rest of the government. The powers vested in the prime minister, along with the persistent media attention given to the position, reinforce the Prime Minister of Canada’s superior role both in the House of Commons and in the public. The result has led to concerns regarding the power of the prime minister. Hugh Mellon argues that the prime minister of Canada is indeed too powerful. Mellon refers to the prime minister’s control over Canada a prime-ministerial government, where the prime minister encounters few constraints on the usage of his powers. Contrary to Mellon’s view, Paul Barker disagrees with the idea of a prime-ministerial government in Canada. Both perspectives bring up solid points, but the idea of a prime-ministerial government leading to too much power in the hands of the prime minister is an exaggeration. Canada is a country that is too large and complex to be dominated by a single individual. The reality is, the Prime Minister of Canada has limitations from several venues. The Canadian Prime Minister is restricted internally by his other ministers, externally by the other levels of government, the media and globalization.
Pierre Trudeau is the greatest Canadian of the twentieth century due to the fact that he declared Canada’s independence from Great Britain, he abolished the death penalty, and he created the Official Languages Act, making our nation entirely bilingual.
Sir John A. Macdonald was one of Canada's founding fathers. He is most remembered as being Canada's first Prime Minister, running the government from July 1, 1867 until November 5, 1873. Macdonald would become Prime Minister once again on October 17, 1878 and would stay in this position until June 6,1891. While he was leader of the country he faced his own share of political obstacles, including Confederation, the Metis rebellion and threats of an American he is among the greatest leaders Canada has ever seen and played a significant part in the forming of Canada as a country.
“Over the past century, Canadian attitudes towards the use of force and the exercise of military power in support of national aims have fundamentally shifted”. This is a quote written by Major Todd Strickland in his article, titled, “From the Boers to the Taliban: How Canadians Attitudes towards War Have Changed”. This article reviews Canada’s history within the wars and also Canadian’s thoughts on war. The Afghan war began in 2001 and is still ongoing today. The war began due to the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11th, 2001, also known as 9/11. The purpose of this war was to invade Afghanistan and to disassemble an organization, known as the al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Another objective was to dismantle the Taliban government. The Taliban government was simply to blame for the deaths of so many Americans on 9/11. The leader, brains and financial support behind this organization was one by the name of Osama bin Laden. Because his country did not surrender him, the United States made the decision to declare war on Afghanistan and fight for those who lost their lives in 9/11. Canada became involved in the Afghan War very quickly after the attacks of 9/11. Because the Afghanistan war is a war that is constantly covered by the media, it makes the information overwhelming. To narrow the topic down, this paper will focus mainly on the Canadian’s involvement in the Afghanistan war. Violent political wars have been reoccurring for as long as anyone can remember, and the intensity of this violence continues to rise. The magnitude of political violence involved, the main interpretations on the causes of political violence, and the prospects for conflict resolution are all topics that will be covered...
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
This essay has argued that there are many limitations that the Prime Minister is subjected too. The three most important are federalism in Canadian society, the role of the Governor General, and the charter of rights and freedoms. I used two different views of federalism and illustrated how both of them put boundaries on the Prime Minister’s power. Next I explain the powers of the governor general, and explained the ability to dissolve parliament in greater detail. Last I analyzed how the charter of rights of freedoms has limited the Prime Minister’s power with respect to policy-making, interests groups and the courts. The Prime Minister does not have absolute power in Canadian society, there are many infringements on the power that they have to respect.
Canada has played a vital role in international relations for the majority of its 144 year history since the signing of Confederation in 1867. Canada first participated in World War I, then World War II in 1939-1945. Following World War II, Canada was also involved in the Korean War. Canada has been primarily a peacekeeping nation. There are many questions people ask when a high income country goes to help a lower income nation such as Afghanistan. What are Canada’s motives for helping out Afghanistan? Who will benefit from Canada going to war in Afghanistan? These are some of the questions many people have. While Canada has many domestic problems of its own such as homelessness, poverty and increasing national debt, why should Canada get involved with a problem that is across the globe? Are the costs of going to war out weight the political benefits? Modernity, modernization theory and gender stratification are some key concepts that are related to Canada going to war in Afghanistan.