Jean Chrétien

Twentieth Prime Minister of Canada: November 4 1993 - present.

Born Joseph Jacques Jean Chretien in Shawinigan, Quebec, on January 11, 1934.

Jean Chretien studied law at Laval University. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1963 and after re-election in 1965 served as parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister (1965) and the Minister of Finance (1966). He was appointed Minister of National Revenue in 1968 and after the election in June of that year was sworn in as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. In 1974, he was appointed President of the Treasury Board; beginning in 1976, he served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce. In 1977, he was named Minister of Finance; in 1980, he was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and also served as Minister of State for Social Development and Minister Responsible for constitutional negotiations, playing a significant role in the repatriation of the Canadian constitution. In 1982 Chretien was appointed Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and in 1984 became Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for External Affairs.

In 1986 Jean Chretien left public life, returning after his election as Liberal leader in 1990 and his re-election to the House in a December by-election in Beausejour, taking his seat as leader of the Official Opposition. In the federal election in October of 1993, Chretien led his party to a majority victory.