The Chretien Legacy

The Chretien Legacy

Edmonton - Tuesday, June 11, 2002 - by: Ron Thornton

twilight
Whether he likes it or not, Prime Minister Jean Chretien is in the twilight of his tenure as Canada's 20th Prime Minister. Whether the end should come through his resignation, the electorate, or a vote of non-confidence within his own party, the time for consideration of the Chretien legacy nears.

scandals
What shall be that legacy? It most certainly won't include the removal of the Goods and Service Tax (GST), the replacement of our aging Sea King helicopter fleet, or his leadership during the 1995 Quebec Referendum. Maybe his defining moments will prove to be these scandals that have rocked his government over the past couple of years.

spending
With the terminal in sight, the engineer of the Liberal gravy train will no doubt desperately spend billions of our dollars in an attempt to rewrite the final chapter. Without a plan and void of any kind of vision, our treasury will once again be the stake in another governmental game of craps.

reform
the senate
As a westerner, please let me offer up a simple, long-lasting, yet inexpensive suggestion. Should the Prime Minister wish to be known more as a "dean of democracy" than a "prince of patronage", he could establish a new mechanism by which future Senators would be appointed after winning an election in their respective electoral division. It wouldn't be a Triple-E Senate but at least that institution would gain some form of legitimacy through the ballot box that it most certainly does not enjoy at present. It would be just a tiny step in the right direction by a man who intensely wants to be remembered for something more than a throttled protestor, a golf course, and a bullied caucus.

Ron Thornton



The Chretien Legacy

Edmonton - Tuesday, June 11, 2002 - by: Ron Thornton

twilight	Whether he likes it or not, Prime Minister Jean Chretien is in the twilight of his tenure as Canada's 20th Prime Minister. Whether the end should come through his resignation, the electorate, or a vote of non-confidence within his own party, the time for consideration of the Chretien legacy nears.

scandals	What shall be that legacy? It most certainly won't include the removal of the Goods and Service Tax (GST), the replacement of our aging Sea King helicopter fleet, or his leadership during the 1995 Quebec Referendum. Maybe his defining moments will prove to be these scandals that have rocked his government over the past couple of years.

spending	With the terminal in sight, the engineer of the Liberal gravy train will no doubt desperately spend billions of our dollars in an attempt to rewrite the final chapter. Without a plan and void of any kind of vision, our treasury will once again be the stake in another governmental game of craps.

reform the senate	As a westerner, please let me offer up a simple, long-lasting, yet inexpensive suggestion. Should the Prime Minister wish to be known more as a "dean of democracy" than a "prince of patronage", he could establish a new mechanism by which future Senators would be appointed after winning an election in their respective electoral division. It wouldn't be a Triple-E Senate but at least that institution would gain some form of legitimacy through the ballot box that it most certainly does not enjoy at present. It would be just a tiny step in the right direction by a man who intensely wants to be remembered for something more than a throttled protestor, a golf course, and a bullied caucus.

	Ron Thornton