Liberal Party History

Liberal Party History: Chrétien and Martin

Introduction to Liberal Party History

The Progressive Conservatives ruled under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney from 1984 to 1993. During this period the Liberals opposed free trade with the United States; it was Mulroney who, taking the old Liberal position, achieved the most comprehensive Canadian-American free trade treaty yet concluded-the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The Liberals were swept back into power in 1993, largely because of Mulroney's personal unpopularity. Jean Chrétien, a Trudeau ally and former member of his cabinet, became prime minister. In the fall of 1995, Chrétien was accused of exercising indecisive leadership against French Canadian nationalists who were demanding sovereignty for Québec. In a referendum held in Québec on that issue, the pro-sovereignty forces lost by an extremely narrow margin.

After the referendum, the Québec issue waned in public concern, and the government focused on economic issues, particularly the national deficit, high unemployment, and high taxes. Chrétien continued reductions in government spending, which included cuts in defense expenditures and federal subsidies. In foreign affairs, Chrétien attempted to distance Canadian policy from that of the United States. In particular, he disagreed with U.S. proposals to use the air power of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian war. He also expressed a desire to renegotiate the terms of NAFTA, but after several years in office had made no serious effort in that direction.

In 1996 the Liberal cabinet was shaken up by the resignations of the minister of defense, David Collenette, and the chief of the defense staff, General Jean Boyle. Both were under fire from critics in Parliament for their handling of allegations that Canadian soldiers had shot and tortured civilians during their peacekeeping mission in Somalia in 1992 and 1993.

The Liberal Party barely managed to maintain a majority government after the election in 1997, taking 155 of 301 seats. The Liberals' fortunes improved in the November 2000 election, called early by Chrétien in a gamble to increase his party's representation in the House of Commons. The Liberals won 173 seats, achieving a comfortable majority. With the Liberals' election victory, Chrétien became the first Canadian leader since World War II to win a third consecutive majority government.

Facing a Liberal Party convention and a vote of confidence on his leadership in February 2003, Chrétien expressed his desire in January 2002 to continue leading the party. Seven months later, however, Chrétien announced his decision to retire. The end came when he sacked Finance Minister Paul Martin, his long-term rival for Liberal Party leadership. The move backfired as Liberal Party members of Parliament came to Martin's defense and called on Chrétien to step down. Chrétien resigned as Liberal Party head and, therefore, as prime minister, in December 2003. Martin succeeded him as Canada's 21st prime minister.

Martin and the Liberals lost their parliamentary majority in elections held in June 2004, but the party retained control of the government. The party was plagued by a growing financial scandal, however, as evidence emerged that officials in Chrétien's government had funneled millions of dollars in federal money into their own party's coffers in the late 1990s.

Over the next year Conservative Party leaders charged Martin's government with corruption in relation to the scandal and called for new elections, finally forcing a confidence vote in May 2005. The government won the vote, but lost a subsequent confidence vote in November. In January 2006 elections, the Conservative Party toppled the Liberal government, ending 12 consecutive years of rule by the Liberals in Canada. Conservative leader Stephen Harper became the country's new prime minister. In December 2006 the Liberal Party chose Stéphane Dion, former minister of the environment, as its new leader.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

Information about Liberal Party History in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Liberal Party History

Law is our Passion

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This entry was last updated: August 24, 2014