Home / Authors / Jean Chretien

Jean Chretien

Jean Chretien Quotes

Former Prime Minister of Canada

Jean Chretien, born on January 11, 1934, served as the Prime Minister of Canada twice, holding office for a total of 10 years. He was a significant figure in Canadian politics, known for his political wisdom and leadership skills. Under his leadership, Canada experienced economic prosperity and social reforms.

Filter quotes by topic

All Ifs Canada Government Politician Home Knows People Quebec Together Dollars

Famous Jean Chretien Quotes

“When you're a mayor and you have a problem you blame the provincial government. If you are provincial government and you have a problem you blame the federal government. We don't blame the Queen any more, so once in a while we might blame the Americans.”

Ifs Problem Government Might Blame Queens Federal Government Mayors

Author:Jean Chretien

“Most Canadians don't understand the House of Commons. They turn on their televisions, see us yelling at one another, and dismiss us as a bunch of fools.”

Turns House Television Fool Bunch Turn-on Yelling House Of Commons

Author:Jean Chretien

“A successful politician must not only be able to read the mood of the public, he must have the skill to get the public on his side. The public is moved by mood more than logic, by instinct more than reason, and that is something that every politician must make use of or guard against.”

Reason Use Able Sides Successful Politician Skills Logic Moved Instinct Mood

Author:Jean Chretien

“A leader has to know how the system functions - not just the system of government but the whole social and economic system, including business, the unions, and the universities.”

Knows Whole Government Social Leader Know How Economic Function Unions Including University Economic Systems Systems Of Government

Author:Jean Chretien

“At one point Trudeau mentioned to me that the National Gallery wanted to buy a masterpiece by the great Italian painter Lotto, and it needed a million dollars from the Treasury Board. "Is that Lotto-Quebec or Lotto-Canada?" I joked, but I got the message, and the National Gallery got the painting.”

Wanted Millions Painting Needed Messages Dollars Painter Boards Canada Italian Masterpiece Gallery Million Dollars Treasury Quebec

Author:Jean Chretien

“I learned early that business is business and politics is politics. The proof is how few important businessmen have made good politicians. They may think that they are very smart about everything because they made millions of dollars by digging a hole in the ground and finding oil, but the talent and luck needed to become rich are not the same talent and luck needed to succeed on Parliament Hill.”

“It's one thing for a courier service transport letters and documents from one city to another at a cost that only big business can afford; but it's another thing to take a letter from an Indian boy studying at the University of Ottawa to his mother in Old Crow.”

Bigs Mother Cities Boys Study One Thing Cost Letters University Indian Documents Crow Transport Big Business Ottawa

Author:Jean Chretien

“Economics has been called the dismal science. Once you get to understand it, you may not find it so dismal, but you don't find it much of a science either.”

May Has Beens Economics

Author:Jean Chretien

“It is not the government's purpose to make a profit the way a company does, because a company doesn't have to give a damn about the unemployed poor or provide services that are non-commercial by definition.”

Way Giving Doe Government Purpose Poor Company Definitions Profit Damn Unemployed

Author:Jean Chretien

“The art of politics is learning to walk with your back to the wall, your elbows high, and a smile on your face. It's a survival game played under the glare of lights.”

Art Light Faces Games Walks Wall Survival Your Face Elbows Glare Smile On Your Face

Author:Jean Chretien

“I've never believed in seeking perfection at the risk of losing everything.”

Risk Losing Perfection Seeking Losing Everything

Author:Jean Chretien

“To my mind losing is always better than never trying, because you can never tell what may happen.”

Trying Mind May Happens Losing

Author:Jean Chretien

“I was proud to have been the anti-establishment candidate after more than twenty years in politics, a small town guy fighting for the ordinary Canadian.”

Years Has Beens Guy Fighting Proud Ordinary Twenties Towns Candidates Establishment Small Town

Author:Jean Chretien

“To be frank, politics is about wanting power, getting it, exercising it, and keeping it.”

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“Trudeau valued performance above image. He Knew he could give me a shovel if there was a mess to clean up, and he kept moving me from one mess to another.”

Ifs Giving Moving Performances Give Me Clean Mess Shovels

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“The two of us had come a long way together from our humble beginnings and the basement apartment that had been our first home as newlyweds in 1957, when I was still a law student at Laval University in Quebec City.”

Way Firsts Long Stills Two Home Together Law Cities Students University Humble Apartment Long Way Basements Quebec Two Of Us Newlyweds Humble Beginnings Law Students First Home

Author:Jean Chretien

“For all its prestige, its fabulous views, its indoor pool, and its lovely garden, 24 Sussex is more like an old hotel than a modern home.”

Home Views Modern Garden Lovely Hotel Pool Fabulous Prestige

Author:Jean Chretien

“I didn't feel the need to have a lot of yes-men standing around me. As Mitchell Sharp once put it, the bigger the staff, the smaller the minister.”

Men Needs Feels Standing Bigger Ministers Staff

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“The problem was, I enjoyed Question Period too much and loved the challenge it provided. Far from being a dreaded burden, it had become an exciting part of my life; opposition members attacked me, I fought back, I won or lost or held them to draw, and the next day we did it all over again.”

Problem Next Lost Challenges Too Much Periods Members Draws Exciting Burden Enjoyed Opposition Next Day

Author:Jean Chretien

“Canadian federalism is more than a form of government. It's also a system of values that allows different people in diverse communities to live and work together in harmony for the good of all.”

People Different Government Together Form Values Community Harmony Working Together Diverse Different Peoples Forms Of Government Federalism

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“Over the years, I have seen too many politicians ruin their careers because they could not accept defeat graciously.”

Years Accepting Careers Politician Defeat Ruins

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“Everybody has the right to speak up in a democracy. We would be in trouble as a society if there wasn't a constant pressure to make reforms and to be just. Sometimes as prime minister, when i was caught up in a really loud demonstration, I used to say to myself that I deserved it because of all the demonstrations I myself had organized as a student against Duplessis.”

Ifs Sometimes Would Be Used Speak Democracy Trouble Students Pressure Constant Caught Reform Loud Ministers Organized Prime Caught Up Prime Minister Demonstration

Author:Jean Chretien

“Three months later, on September 5, 2001, at a pro-am event preceding the Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club, I was invited to play a round with Tiger Woods. Nothing in the game of politics had ever been as nerve-racking as that game of golf.”

Play Three Games Events Months Golf Rounds Clubs Woods Nerves September Tigers Royal Invited Three Months Montreal Golf Clubs

Author:Jean Chretien

“There's no such thing as a genius in politics, or at least I have never met one. There are only human beings, some better than others, who rise or fall on the challenges they meet.”

Humans Fall Challenges Human Beings Genius Mets

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“Politicians of all stripes are always in danger at looking at every problem from an abstract point of view or being briefed by officials, academics, or economists who know every science but the science of human nature.”

Knows Humans Problem Views Human Nature Danger Politician Point Of View Abstract Officials Economist Stripes

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“Vision is not political rhetoric.”

Political Vision Rhetoric Political Rhetoric

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“Our old - fashioned system is better than any new - fangled voting machine. Not only is it guaranteed to work, but there is something I find appealing in putting a mark on a piece of paper for the candidate of your choice, as opposed to pulling a lever as if you were gambling on a slot machine in Las Vegas.”

Ifs Choices Pieces Paper Machines Mark Candidates Voting Gambling Pulling Old Fashioned Vegas Las Vegas Levers Slot Machines

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“There is nothing more nervous than a million dollars - it moves very fast, and it doesn't speak any language.”

Moving Speak Language Millions Dollars Nervous Million Dollars

Author:Jean Chretien

“Aline and I have travelled a very long, very hard road together, from our working class homes in rural Quebec to the palaces of London, Paris, Moscow, and Beijing. Politics was the route, public service the reward.”

Long Hard Home Together Class Rewards London Paris Working Class Routes Palaces Public Service Moscow Quebec Beijing

Book:My Years as Prime Minister

Source: My Years as Prime Minister

“The Western world is ... looked upon as being arrogant, self-satisfied, greedy and with no limits. And Sept. 11 is an occasion for me to realize it even more.”

World Self Realizing Limits Western Satisfied Occasions Arrogant Greedy Western World Sept 11

Author:Jean Chretien

“President Bush is a friend of mine. He's not a moron at all.”

President Mines President Bush Moron

Author:Jean Chretien

“You have to look at history as an evolution of society.”

Looks History Evolution Tourism

Author:Jean Chretien

“There will be no silence from Canada. Our friendship has no limit. Generation after generation we have traveled many difficult miles together side by side.”

Together Political Politics Difficult Sides Silence Generations Politician Limits Miles Canada Traveled

Author:Jean Chretien

“I don't know what is marijuana. Perhaps I will try it when it will no longer be criminal. I will have my money for my fine and a joint in the other hand”

Knows Trying Hands Fine Criminals Weed Marijuana Joints Cannabis Hashish

Author:Jean Chretien

“A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven.”

Kind Funny Proof Proven

Author:Jean Chretien

“Why buy repeater carbines and nuclear armament - if this is kept at home a child can play with it”

Ifs Children Play Home Nuclear Firearms Armament

Author:Jean Chretien

“It is impossible to fully comprehend the evil that would have conjured up such a cowardly and depraved assault upon thousands of innocent people.”

People Evil Impossible Innocent September Assault September 11 Cowardly Depraved September 11 2001

Author:Jean Chretien

“I was stricken by news and television pictures coming from the United States this morning. It is impossible to fully comprehend the evil that would have conjured up such a cowardly and depraved assault upon thousands of innocent people. There can be no cause or grievance that could ever justify such unspeakable violence. Indeed, such an attack is an assault not only on the targets but an offense against the freedom and rights of all civilized nations.”

“But I accepted that because God gave me other qualities and I’m grateful.”

Quality Grateful Accepted

Author:Jean Chretien

“Obviously, I would have been happier if Canada had not been conquered in the past by the English, if this part of North America had remained French, but you can't rewrite history.”

Ifs Has Beens America Past Canada North America

Author:Jean Chretien

“Pierre Trudeau dreamed of a society that afforded all of its citizens an equal opportunity to succeed in life - whatever their background or beliefs, whether rich or poor.”

Opportunity Belief Poor Rich Citizens Succeed Equal Backgrounds Equal Opportunity Rich Or Poor

Author:Jean Chretien

“Ten years ago, in the aftermath of the referendum in Quebec, the very existence of Canada was on the line... I had a responsibility to ensure that Canada never again came close to the precipice.”

Years Lines Existence Responsibility Ten Years Ago Canada Aftermath Precipice Quebec Referendums

Author:Jean Chretien

“Good intentions are not an excuse for maladministration of this magnitude.”

Intention Excuse Good Intentions Magnitude

Author:Jean Chretien

“Politics is a game of friends.”

Author:Jean Chretien

“A man can't ask for much more than the chance to make a difference in his chosen field of work. Politics is my vocation. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this great country of ours. I know I am a better person for it.”

Knows Men Persons Country Asks Opportunity Differences Chance Forever Fields Grateful Chosen Making A Difference Vocation Better Person Great Country Forever Grateful

Author:Jean Chretien

“God gave me a physical defect, I've accepted that since I was a kid. When I was a kid people were laughing at me. But I accepted that because God gave me other qualities and I'm grateful.”

People Kids Quality Laughing Grateful Accepted Defects

Author:Jean Chretien

“If military action in Iraq is launched without a new U.N. resolution, Canada will not participate.”

Ifs Action Military Iraq Canada Resolution Military Action

Author:Jean Chretien

“Some information has to remain in the privy of the office of the Prime Minister and the ministers for the proper administration of government.”

Government Information Office Administration Ministers Prime Prime Minister

Author:Jean Chretien

“Deficit reduction is not an end in itself. It is the means to an end. Canadians must now decide what kind of country they want to build with the hard-won dividend.”

Want Kind Mean Ends Country Hard Deficit Reduction Dividends Means To An End

Author:Jean Chretien

About the Author

Born: January 11, 1934
Known for: Former Prime Minister of Canada
Quotes: 49

Related Topics

Ifs Canada Government Politician Home Knows People Quebec Together Dollars

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

My Years as Prime MinisterRelated source material

Similar Authors

Philippe CouillardBrowse related quotes
Gilles DuceppeBrowse related quotes
Kim CampbellBrowse related quotes
Andre PratteBrowse related quotes
Jeremy GlickBrowse related quotes
Richard DearloveBrowse related quotes
Rick MercerBrowse related quotes
Stephen HarperBrowse related quotes
Madeline Amy SweeneyBrowse related quotes
Abdul Salam ZaeefBrowse related quotes