As the Liberal Party searches for a new leader, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien says it is time for the party to return to the “radical center” to improve its electoral fortunes.
“It is a fundamental condition for the party to return to being the radical center, as it used to say, because that is what the Liberal Party has always been,” Chrétien said in an exclusive interview with CTV Question Period that aired Sunday.
After months of political turmoil and pressure from his caucus to oust him, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he will step down as leader once a successor is selected. The party says a new leader will be elected on March 9.
For more than two years, the Liberals had a bid-and-confidence agreement with the NDP, in which the NDP supported the Liberals in exchange for progress on shared priorities. Under the agreement, which ended last summer, policies such as dental care and pharmaceutical care advanced, pushing the Liberals further to the left.
But since the announcement of Trudeau’s resignation, some Liberal MPs have publicly expressed their desire to see the party move more toward the political center.
“It’s vitally important that we elect someone who is middle of the road, who understands the needs of Canadians and who puts them first,” Ontario MP Judy Sgro told reporters Wednesday ahead of a meeting of the caucuses.
“As we move forward, I think Canadians want us to continue to look for ways to support their priorities while also being fiscally responsible,” Ontario MP Charles Sousa said Wednesday. “I’m very interested in ensuring that we focus on the economy as we move forward.”
When asked by host Vassy Kapelos about those opinions, Chrétien said: “I think the party will come back there, I’m sure.”
For more than a year, the Liberals have trailed the Conservatives in public opinion polls. According to the latest figures from Nanos Research published on January 7, the Conservatives lead the Liberals by 22 points, at 45 percent and 23 percent respectively.
Following those numbers, the new Liberal leader could quickly face a general election, as opposition parties have signaled they will take steps to topple the Liberal government once the House of Commons returns on March 24.
When asked if the new party leader can overcome that deficit in a short period of time, Chrétien said that “things can change quickly.”
Speaking to Kapelos, Chrétien referred to his victory over incumbent Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Kim Campbell in 1993, in which the PC was reduced from 156 seats to just two.
“(Campbell) became prime minister. She was ahead of me by 10 or 15 points,” Chretien said, going on to say: “She stood up to me and, you know… she lost her seat. She ended up with only two seats, and “All of that happened in the space of six months.”
Chrétien called Trudeau’s decision to abandon “his privilege”
Chrétien served as prime minister for a decade and near the end of his term he experienced similar political pressures as Trudeau. After losing the majority of caucus support and an intra-party rivalry with his Finance Minister, Paul Martin, Chrétien announced in August 2002 that he would resign in February 2004, but that position proved untenable. He finally resigned in December 2003, handing power to Martin.
Asked if Trudeau waited too long to leave, Chrétien said it was “his privilege” to decide when to leave.
“He could have stayed. Of course, he was facing some turbulence, and that happens all the time, you know, in politics, it’s like that,” Chrétien said.
Despite the latest unrest, Chrétien praised Trudeau’s time as prime minister, saying he “served well.”
“He was fantastic for the Liberal Party. He took us to third place and won the election for us,” Chrétien said, adding that “he has done something that no one else has been able to do. Usually minority governments never survive anymore.” more than two and a half years. It is now in its fourth year. “It’s unique.”
You can watch the exclusive interview with former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on Question Period this Sunday at 11ET/8PT on CTV.
