PM Jean Chretien
I supported Prime Minister Jean Chrétien because he restored discipline and stability to Canada’s finances at a time when our country needed it most. He reduced the deficit, lowered interest rates to levels not seen in more than 35 years, and helped create jobs and opportunity across Canada.
For many young families, the dream of owning a home finally became possible again. I was one of them.Canadians had room to breathe. Hope returned. And for those reasons, I chose to run as the Liberal candidate in the Vancouver Island North riding in the 1997 federal election. I did not win; John Duncan of the Reform Party did. John was, and remains, a good man who cared deeply about his community. What I remember most about Prime Minister Chrétien was not only his political skill, but his humanity. There was an ease about him. He had a wicked sense of humour, a sharp intellect, and a genuine curiosity about people’s lives.
During one conversation, he asked what it was like growing up as a military dependant. I told him I always felt I had two families: my own family and my military family. Then, in his unmistakable French accent, said I was most fortunate. He asked, “You are running in Vancouver Island North, why? ”I told him about the federal wharf at Zeballos that had burned, leaving a fishing community unable to get its product to market. I told him about the abandoned Mount Washington Copper Mine and the leachate flowing into the Tsolum and Courtenay Rivers, damaging salmon habitat and threatening a way of life. The mine needed to be capped. He promised the wharf would be rebuilt immediately, but explained that stopping the leachate would take time. I replied, “If leachate was entering the Rideau Canal, it would be fixed immediately.” The Prime Minister laughed and said, “You are right about that”, he agreed to take immediate action.
I entered that election knowing my chances of winning were minimal. But I also knew that, win or lose, Zeballos would get a new wharf and the work would begin to address the mine’s environmental damage. The process moved forward with Liberal Environment Minister David Anderson, and today with the help of many the mine is capped. Prime Minister Chrétien listened, and he followed through.I was also proud when he made the difficult decision in 2003 to keep Canada out of the Iraq War, refusing to commit Canadian troops without authorization from the United Nations.
My political beliefs have never fit neatly into one box. Like many Canadians, I am conservative when it comes to finances. I believe taxpayers deserve accountability, discipline, and respect for every dollar entrusted to the government. I support social programs, safer streets, opportunities for children and youth, and a stronger military, values some would describe as Liberal. I support jobs, trade, economic opportunity, and the rights of workers, values others may associate with the NDP. I believe protecting our environment, our waters, and our natural places is a responsibility we all share, values some may call Green. Perhaps those are not competing values. Perhaps they are Canadian values. My experience, whether in municipal, provincial, or federal politics, is that people from every party, candidates and elected officials alike, are often motivated by the same thing: a desire to serve their communities and make our country better.
Democracy works best when citizens are informed, engaged, and willing to listen beyond party labels. I encourage everyone to learn the issues, participate in the conversation, and most importantly, vote.
I supported Prime Minister Jean Chrétien because he restored discipline and stability to Canada’s finances at a time when our country needed it most. He reduced the deficit, lowered interest rates to levels not seen in more than 35 years, and helped create jobs and opportunity across Canada.
For many young families, the dream of owning a home finally became possible again. I was one of them.Canadians had room to breathe. Hope returned. And for those reasons, I chose to run as the Liberal candidate in the Vancouver Island North riding in the 1997 federal election. I did not win; John Duncan of the Reform Party did. John was, and remains, a good man who cared deeply about his community. What I remember most about Prime Minister Chrétien was not only his political skill, but his humanity. There was an ease about him. He had a wicked sense of humour, a sharp intellect, and a genuine curiosity about people’s lives.
During one conversation, he asked what it was like growing up as a military dependant. I told him I always felt I had two families: my own family and my military family. Then, in his unmistakable French accent, said I was most fortunate. He asked, “You are running in Vancouver Island North, why? ”I told him about the federal wharf at Zeballos that had burned, leaving a fishing community unable to get its product to market. I told him about the abandoned Mount Washington Copper Mine and the leachate flowing into the Tsolum and Courtenay Rivers, damaging salmon habitat and threatening a way of life. The mine needed to be capped. He promised the wharf would be rebuilt immediately, but explained that stopping the leachate would take time. I replied, “If leachate was entering the Rideau Canal, it would be fixed immediately.” The Prime Minister laughed and said, “You are right about that”, he agreed to take immediate action.
I entered that election knowing my chances of winning were minimal. But I also knew that, win or lose, Zeballos would get a new wharf and the work would begin to address the mine’s environmental damage. The process moved forward with Liberal Environment Minister David Anderson, and today with the help of many the mine is capped. Prime Minister Chrétien listened, and he followed through.I was also proud when he made the difficult decision in 2003 to keep Canada out of the Iraq War, refusing to commit Canadian troops without authorization from the United Nations.
My political beliefs have never fit neatly into one box. Like many Canadians, I am conservative when it comes to finances. I believe taxpayers deserve accountability, discipline, and respect for every dollar entrusted to the government. I support social programs, safer streets, opportunities for children and youth, and a stronger military, values some would describe as Liberal. I support jobs, trade, economic opportunity, and the rights of workers, values others may associate with the NDP. I believe protecting our environment, our waters, and our natural places is a responsibility we all share, values some may call Green. Perhaps those are not competing values. Perhaps they are Canadian values. My experience, whether in municipal, provincial, or federal politics, is that people from every party, candidates and elected officials alike, are often motivated by the same thing: a desire to serve their communities and make our country better.
Democracy works best when citizens are informed, engaged, and willing to listen beyond party labels. I encourage everyone to learn the issues, participate in the conversation, and most importantly, vote.
