Editing Jean Chrétien (section)

==== 1997 federal election ====
Chrétien called [[1997 Canadian federal election|an early election]] in the spring of 1997, hoping to take advantage of his position in the public opinion polls and the continued division of the conservative vote between the Progressive Conservative Party and the upstart [[Reform Party of Canada]]. Despite slipping poll numbers, he advised the governor general to call an election in 1997, a year ahead of schedule. Many of his own MPs criticized him for this move, especially in light of the devastating [[Red River Flood, 1997|Red River Flood]], which led to charges of insensitivity. Liberal MP [[John Godfrey]] tried hard to interest Chrétien in an ambitious plan to eliminate urban poverty in Canada as a platform to run on in the election, which was vetoed by Eddie Goldenberg and John Rae of the PMO, who convinced Chrétien that it was better to stick with an "incrementalist" course of small changes than risk any grand project.<ref>Martin, Lawrence ''Iron Man'', Toronto: Viking, 2003 p. 176.</ref> The Progressive Conservatives had a popular new leader in [[Jean Charest]] and the [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democrats]]' [[Alexa McDonough]] led her party to a breakthrough in Atlantic Canada, where the Liberals had won all but one seat in 1993. Chrétien benefited when the Reform Party aired a TV ad in English Canada charging that the country was being dominated by French-Canadian politicians, which Chrétien used to accuse [[Preston Manning]] of being anti-French.<ref>Martin, Lawrence ''Iron Man'', Toronto: Viking, 2003 p. 181.</ref> In 1997, the Liberals lost all but a handful of seats in Atlantic Canada and Western Canada, but managed to retain a bare majority government due to their continued dominance of Ontario.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}