Liberal Party of Canada: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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While the Chrétien Liberals campaigned from the left, their time in power is most marked by the cuts made to many social programs, including health transfers, in order to balance the federal budget.<ref>{{cite news |title = Chrétien rejects health-care pleas from provinces |newspaper = Globe and Mail |date = April 2000 |url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/chretien-rejects-health-care-pleas-from-provinces/article1038283/ |access-date = October 30, 2019 |last1 = Scoffield |first1 = Heather }}</ref> Although Chrétien had supported the Charlottetown Accord while in opposition, in government he opposed major concessions to Quebec and other provincialist factions. In contrast to their promises during the 1993 campaign, they implemented only minor changes to NAFTA, embraced the free trade concept and—with the exception of the replacement of the GST with the [[Harmonized Sales Tax]] in some Atlantic provinces—broke their promise to replace the GST.

After a proposal for Quebec independence was narrowly defeated in the [[1995 Quebec referendum]], the Liberals passed the "[[Clarity Act]]", which outlines the federal government's preconditions for negotiating provincial independence.<ref>{{cite web |title = Clarity Act |publisher = Government of Canada Privy Council Office |url = http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/aia/index.asp?lang=eng&page=federal&doc=constitution/clarityact/ClarityAct_e.htm |access-date = November 9, 2011 |archive-date = December 7, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081207062905/http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/aia/index.asp?lang=eng&page=federal&doc=constitution%2Fclarityact%2FClarityAct_e.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref> In Chrétien's final term, he supported [[same-sex marriage in Canada|same-sex marriage]],<ref>{{cite news |author = Melissa Cheung |url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/canada-will-legalize-gay-marriage/ |title = Canada Will Legalize Gay Marriage |publisher = CBS News |date = June 18, 2003 |access-date = November 9, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/world/canadian-leaders-agree-to-propose-gay-marriage-law.html?pagewanted=1 |title = Canadian leaders agree to propose gay marriage law |work = The New York Times |date = June 18, 2003 |access-date = November 9, 2011 |first = Clifford |last = Krauss }}</ref> [[Decriminalization|decriminalizing]] the possession of small quantities of marijuana,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-10-03 |title=Chrétien jokes about trying pot once it's decriminalized |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/chretien-jokes-about-trying-pot-once-its-decriminalized/article20451387/ |access-date=2023-06-15}}</ref> and ratified the [[Kyoto Protocol]].<ref name="CBC_2002_12">{{cite news |date=December 16, 2002 |title=Kyoto ratification 'important for future generations' |work=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2002/12/16/kyotosign021216.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205224931/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2002/12/16/kyotosign021216.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |access-date=January 9, 2013}}</ref> On March 17, 2003, Chrétien announced that [[Canada and the Iraq War|Canada would not support the invasion of Iraq]],<ref>{{cite news |title = Chrétien restates opposition to Iraq war |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2003/03/18/chretieniraq030318.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030095455/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2003/03/18/chretieniraq030318.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = October 30, 2007 |access-date = November 9, 2011 |publisher = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date = March 18, 2003 }}</ref> which caused friction with the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sayle |first=Timothy A. |date=2015 |title="But he has nothing on at all!" Canada and the Iraq War, 2003 |journal=Canadian Military History |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=18–19}}</ref> However, a poll conducted by [[EKOS Research Associates|EKOS]] for the ''[[Toronto Star]]'' and ''[[La Presse (Canada)|La Presse]]'' shortly afterwards showed widespread approval of Chrétien's decision by the Canadian public: 71 percent of those questioned approved of the government's decision to not enter the United States-led invasion, with 27 percent expressing disapproval.<ref name="Harper">{{Cite news |last = Harper |first = Tim |title = Canadians back Chrétien on war, poll finds |newspaper = Toronto Star |date = March 22, 2003 |url = http://25461.vws.magma.ca/admin/articles/torstar-24-03-2003c.html |access-date = November 9, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706184537/http://25461.vws.magma.ca/admin/articles/torstar-24-03-2003c.html |archive-date = July 6, 2011 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

In Chrétien's final weeks as prime minister, he introduced legislation to reduce the maximum allowable donation to a political party or candidate to $5,000. The move came as a surprise even to Liberal supporters, as Chrétien had not done anything about election financing at any other point in his ten years in office. Political observers suggested that the move allowed Chrétien to retire on a positive note while saddling Martin, his longstanding rival and successor, with the burden of having to fight an election under the strict new rules.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/realitycheck/gray/20060613.html |author=Gray, John |publisher=CBC News |title=Realists and idealists and a bag of hammers |access-date=January 1, 2016 |date=June 13, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008121550/http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/realitycheck/gray/20060613.html |archive-date=October 8, 2010 }}</ref>