Jean Chrétien (QC-95)

Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien PC, OM, CC, QC (born January 11, 1934), known commonly as Jean Chrétien, is a retired Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for less than 3 years, from November 4, 1993 to June 16, 1996. He is well-known for being the Prime Minister and leader of Canada when the Quebec referendum of 1995 succeeded the province of Quebec, and lead to the Republic of Quebec, an independent nation.

A native of Shawinigan, Quebec, Chrétien is a law graduate from Université Laval. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1963. He served in various cabinet posts under prime minister Pierre Trudeau, most prominently as Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He also served as deputy prime minister in John Turner's short-lived government. He became leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1990, and led the party to a majority government in the 1993 federal election, his first and only election to Prime Minster.

Chrétien was strongly opposed to the Quebec sovereignty movement and supported official bilingualism and multiculturalism. He lost by a narrow margin as leader of the federalist camp in the 1995 Quebec Referendum, and the province became gained full independence on Novemeber 24 of that year. Due to the overwhelmingly negative views of his inability in keep the nation of Canada unified, he resigned as prime minister in June 1996, and left public life.