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Jean Chrétien Quotes (1934-)
Politician, Queen
About Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien PC OM CC QC (born January 11, 1934), known commonly as Jean Chrétien, is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003.
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“I've never believed in seeking perfection at the risk of losing everything.”
“To be frank, politics is about wanting power, getting it, exercising it, and keeping it.”
“Over the years, I have seen too many politicians ruin their careers because they could not accept defeat graciously.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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”
“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.”
“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.”
Jean Chrétien Quotes by Topic
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Jean Chrétien on London
Jean Chrétien on Politics
Jean Chrétien on Moscow
Jean Chrétien on Paris
Jean Chrétien on Beijing
Jean Chrétien on Quebec
Jean Chrétien on Vocation
“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.”
What Jean Chrétien Said About Others
Discover personal opinions Jean Chrétien shared regarding contemporaries.
Jean Chrétien on Diana, Princess of Wales
“Princess Diana in her official position and in a personal capacity has made an extraordinary contribution not only to her country but to the world.”
About Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien PC OM CC QC (born January 11, 1934), known commonly as Jean Chrétien, is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003.