20th Prime Minister of Canada
Jean Chrétien
Three straight majorities and a decade in power.
In officeNovember 4, 1993 – December 12, 2003
PartyLiberal
BornJanuary 11, 1934 · Shawinigan, Quebec
RidingSaint-Maurice (Quebec)
Biography
First elected to Parliament in 1963, Jean Chrétien held many cabinet posts under Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau before becoming Liberal leader in 1990. He won three consecutive majority governments, in 1993, 1997 and 2000.
Key highlights
- Won three consecutive majority governments
- Balanced the federal budget for the first time in nearly three decades (1997–98)
- Led the federal side through the 1995 Quebec referendum
- Passed the Clarity Act (2000)
- Kept Canada out of the 2003 Iraq War
- Ratified the Kyoto Protocol (2002)