Editing Jean Chrétien (section)

=== 1984: First leadership bid and relationship with Turner ===
[[File:Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau 1975 (UPI press photo) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|150px|When Prime Minister [[Pierre Trudeau]] announced his retirement in 1984, Chrétien ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party by portraying himself as the candidate who would best continue Trudeau's policies and defend his legacy.]]
After Trudeau announced his retirement as Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader in early 1984, Chrétien was one of the candidates seeking to replace him as leader. The experience was a hard one for Chrétien, as many of his longtime Cabinet allies supported the bid of [[John Turner]], who was viewed as more electable, much to Chrétien's intense disappointment.<ref>Martin, Lawrence ''Chrétien: The Will to Win'', Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1995 p. 333.</ref> During the leadership race in the spring of 1984, Chrétien ran as the defender of the Trudeau era and promised to continue all of Trudeau's policies, unlike Turner, who promised a break with Trudeau.<ref>Martin, Lawrence ''Chrétien: The Will to Win'', Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1995 pp. 331–332.</ref> During the leadership race, Chrétien presented himself as a folksy leftish populist and mocked Turner as a right-wing [[Bay Street]] snob who was out of touch with ordinary people.<ref name="Martin, Lawrence p. 332">Martin, Lawrence ''Chrétien: The Will to Win'', Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1995 p. 332.</ref> Chrétien opposed Turner's claim that the national deficit was not a problem, arguing in a speech, "We have to use the deficit to keep the dignity of our people."<ref name="Martin, Lawrence p. 332"/> Chrétien attracted larger and more enthusiastic crowds than anything that Turner ever managed, but most of the Liberal Party establishment had rallied to Turner when he announced his candidacy in March 1984, which proved to be an insurmountable handicap for Chrétien.<ref>Martin, Lawrence ''Chrétien: The Will to Win'', Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1995 pp. 331–336.</ref> Chrétien was thought to be a [[dark horse]] until the end but lost on the second ballot to Turner at the [[1984 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|leadership convention]] that June. Liberal Party president [[Iona Campagnolo]] introduced Chrétien as "Second on the ballot, but first in our hearts." Turner appointed Chrétien [[Deputy Prime Minister of Canada|Deputy Prime Minister]] and [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)#Secretaries of State for External Affairs (1909–1993)|Secretary of State for External Affairs]].{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

After winning the leadership race, Turner wanted to reconcile with Chrétien and lead a united party into the coming [[1984 Canadian federal election|general election]], and so asked Chrétien what terms he would accept.<ref name="Martin, Lawrence pp. 339–340">Martin, Lawrence ''Chrétien: The Will to Win'', Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1995 pp. 339–340.</ref> Chrétien, angry about losing the leadership race, asked for terms he knew Turner could never give him, demanding to be appointed [[Quebec lieutenant]], with control of patronage and organization in Quebec. However, Turner had already promised the position to [[André Ouellet]] in exchange for support in the leadership race.<ref name="Martin, Lawrence pp. 339–340"/><ref name="Simpson pp. 15-28">Simpson, Jeffery "The Vincible Liberals" pp. 15–28 from ''The Canadian General Election of 1984: Politicians, Parties, Press and Polls'' edited by Alan Stewart Frizzell & Anthony Westell, Ottawa: Carleton University Press, 1985 p. 23.</ref> As a result, Turner compromised by creating a troika of Chrétien, Ouellet, and Lalonde to run Liberal operations in Quebec.<ref name="Simpson pp. 15-28"/> The troika was a sham, and during the 1984 election, its three members spent more time feuding with one another than in combating the Progressive Conservatives.<ref name="Simpson pp. 15-28"/>

Chrétien's demand for the Quebec lieutenancy was not his only issue with Turner, as he almost immediately clashed with the Prime Minister over the calling of an early election. As the last general election had been held in February 1980, the next general election could be held no later than February 1985. Chrétien advised Turner not to ask the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] to dissolve Parliament, but to instead keep it in session during the fall of 1984 to give the government a record to run on in a winter election in early 1985.<ref>Weston, Greg ''Reign of Error'', Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1988 p. 73.</ref> Turner disregarded Chrétien's advice, believing that a boost in the polls after he assumed the premiership in late June 1984 justified asking for Parliament to be dissolved, and for an election to be held in September 1984.<ref>Weston, Greg ''Reign of Error'', Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1988 pp. 73–75</ref>