Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was interviewed on CBC
Radio on May 31, 2018. Although he is now 84 years old, he sounds today just
like the feisty, former street fighter he was. From a very young backbencher,
through many cabinet posts, and finally to a Prime Minister who only seemed to
know how to win majority governments, he is a true legend. He helped us keep
this country together, and then navigate through the difficult reconciliation
with Quebec. As a finale, he very wisely kept us out of America’s
ill-conceived, and disastrous war in Iraq. Jean Chrétien is probably Canada’s
most underrated prime minister, and will probably be rightly viewed in the
future as one of our greatest leaders.
But, as a cabinet minister in the government of Pierre
Elliott Trudeau that he took one of the biggest gambles of his political
career. As Minister of Indian Affairs that he tried – but failed – to end
Canada’s apartheid regime.
