愛污传媒

Politics

    • 'It is for him to decide': Former PM Chretien on whether Trudeau should run again

    Share

    Former prime minister Jean Chretien says deciding when it's time to step down and leave politics is simple, but "very personal."

    Chretien sat down with CTV鈥檚 Question Period host Vassy Kapelos for a wide-ranging exclusive interview to discuss how Canada has changed, when it鈥檚 time to leave politics and how to work with political opponents.

    Chretien 鈥 who held the country's top job for a decade 鈥 turned 90 this week, after having also recently celebrated 30 years since he became prime minister, and 60 years since he became an MP.

    鈥淚鈥檓 having a good time at my age,鈥 Chretien said.

    Chretien stepped down as Liberal leader and prime minister in December 2003.

    While the current prime minister has insisted he plans to run again in the next general election, which by then would also put him at a decade on the job, many have speculated over whether Trudeau will step down instead, handing over the reins to someone new.

    鈥淚t is for him to decide 鈥 what is the best for him, what is the best for the party, and what is the best for the country,鈥 he also said. 鈥淎nd it's very personal decision.鈥

    But when asked how difficult that decision is to make, Chretien said 鈥渋t鈥檚 easy.鈥

    鈥淵ou have to make the right decision,鈥 he said. 鈥淎 decision is a decision.鈥

    He added there will be many on both sides of the argument who will try to sway Trudeau鈥檚 choice, but that鈥檚 鈥渢he name of the game鈥 in politics, 鈥渁nd you have to live with it.鈥

    With Chretien in a unique position of knowing when it鈥檚 time to leave political life, Kapelos asked what he would say if Trudeau sought his advice.

    鈥淗e would not ask me,鈥 Chretien said. 鈥淪o why to debate?鈥

    HIS MOST CONSEQUENTIAL CHOICES

    Chretien listed three major decisions that he believes to be the most consequential during his time as prime minister.

    The first, he said, was balancing the books, pulling the country out of a $42-billion deficit before delivering five successive balanced budgets.

    Secondly, he said, was passing the Clarity Act, which laid out rules for referendums, following the 1995 Quebec referendum.

    鈥淎 lot of people said 鈥楧on't do that, you're willing to start the storm鈥 and there was no storm,鈥 he said.

    鈥淎nd after that when I said 鈥楴o鈥 to the war in Iraq,鈥 he added. 鈥淵ou know, it's something that was a very important decision to show that we were not the 51st state of America, that we were an independent country.鈥

    WORKING WITH THE OPPOSITION

    On the occasion of Chretien鈥檚 birthday celebration this week, former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper sent a video of well wishes.

    鈥淗e even sang for me,鈥 Chretien said. 鈥淵ou know, people think that we're enemies. No. We are opponents, we're not enemies.鈥

    He said in the decades he was in politics, he learned it鈥檚 like playing hockey: whatever happens on the ice, 鈥渁fter that we go together and have a beer.鈥

    鈥淭hat is life,鈥 he added.

    Working with those across the aisle in the House of Commons is essential to discuss ideas even when there are disagreements, Chretien said.

    鈥淎nd in fact, in many ways, it's easier to be friendly for the people in front of you,鈥 he joked. 鈥淭hey're not trying to replace you from the back.鈥

    Chretien also said there鈥檚 the benefit of hindsight, and looking back, it鈥檚 easier to see where there were friendships, and that everyone is there working to do better for the country.

    HOW CANADA AND POLITICS HAVE CHANGED

    When asked about the perception of politics today, and the idea that it resonates with people鈥檚 anger and frustrations, Chretien said not much has changed on that front since he was in power.

    He said there will always be a reason for people to be discontent, pointing to the high interest rates and the national debt when he became prime minister, but also highlighting that Canada now has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, despite a cost-of-living crisis.

    鈥淲e're doing quite well in Canada compared to anybody else,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd what I used to say is that when I look at myself, I despair, but when I compare myself, I feel very good.鈥

    Chretien added that things often appear worse than they are, because bad news grabs attention.

    鈥淎s I say, a dog who bites a man is not news, but if a man wants to bite a dog, it will be hell of a big news, and it's two animals doing the same thing,鈥 he said.

    鈥淲e have to be realists and look at life and do what you can,鈥 he added. 鈥淎nd for me, I've always done my best, and I couldn't do better than my best.鈥

    鈥淧erhaps my best was not good enough for some, but there's nothing I can do about it.鈥

    You can watch Chretien鈥檚 full interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET or in the video player at the top of this article.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    Canada

    • The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) has uploaded dozens of dashboard camera videos from the 1970s to their YouTube channel.

    • Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    • A Canadian navy missile test was aborted mid-flight this week after controllers lost communication with the projectile off the coast of southern California.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    • The final count of ballots in the 2024 B.C. election begins Saturday, with more than 66,000 mail-in and absentee votes potentially yet to be counted across the province's 93 electoral districts.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • The countdown to the arrival of Taylor Swift鈥檚 Eras Tour is on, with three dates planned in Vancouver this December - and some condo owners are looking to cash in on the fan frenzy.

    • Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

    • Angela Salvatore had been away from her father's hospital bedside for just over an hour when she says she got a frantic call from a nurse, pleading with her to calm him down.

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he doesn't "think it's fair" nurses and doctors have to pay for parking at the hospitals and health-care facilities that they work at, after 愛污传媒 Toronto highlighted the issue earlier this week

    • The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on Monday and the Danielle Smith government will be providing more details about its plans for the session.

    • A person is dead in the aftermath of a traffic incident in Calgary's northeast on Friday evening.

    • An investigation into the death of a man in Calgary police custody earlier this month has concluded that officers did not contribute to his death and that he was cared for properly.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      A former CTV Ottawa broadcaster is headlining an art gallery with landscape paintings this weekend.

    • It's going to be cold this Saturday in the capital, as colder than average temperatures are in the forecast.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      Ottawa residents are invited to join the Governor General鈥檚 Foot Guards (GGFG) who鈥檚 hosting a community event in the capital today.

    • Quebec's social services minister says he's outraged by reports that educators at a detention centre for youth in Montreal had sexual relations with minor detainees 鈥 and that one of the employees allegedly had a baby with a teenage resident.

    • Two minors were in court Friday to face charges after four teenagers were stabbed outside a Montreal high school.

    • Infectious disease specialists are concerned about a rise in the number of 'walking pneumonia' cases and that the disease is appearing in younger children.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    • A second person has been charged in connection with the death of a man in the Kingsway area earlier this year.

    • The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on Monday and the Danielle Smith government will be providing more details about its plans for the session.

    • The GoFundMe page for the family of an employee found dead at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has paused donations after almost $200,000 was raised in roughly 24 hours.

    • New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as celebrities requesting their own pieces.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say a 14-year-old boy from Bridgewater, N.S. is facing several charges in connection with threats made against a Catholic high school in eastern Ontario.

    • The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

    • Winnipeg police are looking for a suspect after a woman's dorm room was broken into at the U of M and she was assaulted.

    • Repairs to the historic 110-year-old rail bridge at The Forks could come with a multi-million dollar price tag.

    • Saturday will mark the end of the CFL regular season, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have their eyes on Winnipeg鈥檚 matchup versus Montreal to know if they have a chance of clinching the West Division.

    • With an attempt to address the shortage of housing available in the community, the City of Yorkton has started a housing incentive program where new builders will receive a 50 per cent rebate on residential lots, and a full tax exemption for five years.

    • As the final day of voting for the Saskatchewan election inches closer, voters may be wondering when official winners will be declared.

    • Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, the man who stabbed three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo, says he 鈥榓cted dumb鈥.

    • All the evidence has now been called at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Viola Erb.

    • Residents spotted smoke coming from a waste management site in Waterloo on Friday afternoon.

    • A Saskatchewan woman is worried her child might die before receiving life-saving surgery and tests as he sits on the province's surgical waitlist.

    • The Saskatchewan RCMP is releasing the names of two suspects arrested on Thursday for a violent vehicle theft that triggered a widespread police search.

    • Police have still not confirmed the identity of a body discovered in Prince Albert last week.

    • The Town of Cochrane plans to roll out its $10-lot program in a month or two.

    • Two people 鈥 one from Timmins, the other from Kapuskasing -- have been fined more than $7,000 for camping violations, including empty septic tanks directly onto the ground.

    • The federal government is spending a significant amount of money to improve Indigenous student learning across Ontario.

    • At around 11:00 p.m. a witness saw them break a window at a building in the area of Chiddington Avenue and Compton Crescent.

    • In case you missed it, 愛污传媒 London has gathered all of the top local stories from this week into one video for your convenience.

    • A new staff report calls for homeless encampments to be allowed even closer to residential neighbourhoods, reducing the buffer zone from 100 metres to 25 metres.

    • Provincial police say there is an active investigation going on in the Town of Huntsville.

    • Several students have been banned from being spectators at school sporting events, and others suspended from school, after verbal and physical exchanges at a high school soccer game.

    • A 15-year veteran officer with the South Simcoe Police Service has been charged with discreditable conduct following an allegation of sexual assault.

    • In case you missed it, 愛污传媒 Windsor has compiled all of the top local stories from this week into one video.

    • The Windsor Police Service is investigating a suspicious death in south-central Windsor.

    • A Harrow school is memorializing two students and their mother, who were tragically killed in June.

    • The final count of ballots in the 2024 B.C. election begins Saturday, with more than 66,000 mail-in and absentee votes potentially yet to be counted across the province's 93 electoral districts.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • Hulitan Early Years Centre is a brand new, 48-seat childhood learning centre in Colwood. It was built to support Indigenous children throughout the capital region.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • About 15,000 students are enrolled at Lethbridge鈥檚 post-secondary schools, and now the city is working with those schools to try to find ways to get them s to stick around a while.

    • With Halloween less than a week away, organizations in Lethbridge are preparing to get in on the trick-or-treating fun.

    • The City of Lethbridge is bringing forward a water conservation policy, the first of its kind for the city.

    • The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care.

    • CTV's Coats for Kids is nearing the end of its donation window, with the need as strong as it鈥檚 ever been.

    • The Anishinabek Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the circumstances around a death in Fort William First Nation.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒