Here is a quote from this article:"This week, Mr. Chr?tien telephoned Mr. Bush to talk about the G8 summit and to try to heal the rift that widened when Canada refused to join the U.S.-led war against Iraq."
whether he thinks he is a better leader than bush, he shouldn't voice his opinion in public. he will never heal any rift by commenting on bush's ability.
Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief
National Post
ATHENS - Jean Chr?tien, the Prime Minister, offered strong criticisms yesterday of George W. Bush, the U.S. President, attacking both his economic stewardship and his conservative social policies.
In a frank discussion with journalists aboard the prime ministerial Airbus en route to a Canada-EU summit in Athens, Mr. Chr?tien took issue with the Bush administration running a US$500-billion deficit while claiming to run a "right-wing" government.
Mr. Chr?tien, who is to speak on the global economy at next week's G8 summit in Evian, France, contrasted his own performance with that of Mr. Bush. He noted that under the Republicans, U.S. economic growth has become weaker and unemployment is rising, while Canada is enjoying strong job creation and growth of 2.5% expected this year.
The Prime Minister laid part of the blame for the U.S. economy's troubles on Mr. Bush.
"We still have surpluses. The Americans will have a $500-billion deficit this year and it is a right-wing government. If we were to equal that we would have to have a $75-billion deficit. Imagine!" he said.
While Mr. Chr?tien claimed to have a good rapport with Mr. Bush, he said he disagrees with him on most major issues because of their ideological gulf.
"Of course we don't think alike on many issues. On social issues, he is a conservative. I am for free choice on abortion. He is not. He is against gun control. I am for it. He is for capital punishment. I am against it. I am a Liberal," he said.
During the conversation, Mr. Chr?tien went out of his way to praise former Democratic president Bill Clinton and noted the two leaders remain close friends and continue to golf together.
This week, Mr. Chr?tien telephoned Mr. Bush to talk about the G8 summit and to try to heal the rift that widened when Canada refused to join the U.S.-led war against Iraq. Canada's stand led to the President cancelling a scheduled May 5 visit to Ottawa.
With retirement in the offing, Mr. Chr?tien was notably frank as he spoke to journalists at the back of the plane, saying that he has been approached for jobs in the private sector after he leaves office next February, but insisted "I am not negotiating with anyone right now."
He said he would not be interested in seeking the top job at the United Nations when Secretary-General Kofi Annan leaves, but suggested he would like to write a weekly newspaper column.
"I am not a candidate for any job anywhere. I don't want to be a bureaucrat. I want to be a free-lancer," he said. "Next year, I might start to write about the press. I think that the paper that signs me will sell a helluva lot of papers."
Throughout his 45-minute talk, Mr. Chr?tien expressed frustration with the Canadian media, arguing that it has largely failed to recognize the accomplishments of his government both on the domestic and international fronts.
"A good lie makes a headline but a good story does not make a headline," he said. "Nobody writes that I do anything good. I am not complaining. I'm at 51% in the polls."
Mr. Chr?tien complained he had not been given proper credit in the media for the international treaty on the elimination of land mines, which the United States, Russia and China have refused to endorse. He said he was the first G8 leader to raise the issue, at the summit in Italy in 1994.
Nor have journalists credited him for the new African aid program announced at last year's summit in Alberta, for pushing for the International Court of Justice and human rights in China, or for saving the Canada Pension Plan, he said.
Mr. Chr?tien said it is not in his nature to brag about his achievements, suggesting this is part of the Canadian psyche. "We Canadians have an inferiority complex and I am part of it. I don't talk about [accomplishments] otherwise you will say I have a big ego and I am the Little Guy From Shawinigan," he said. "I am not for me to write about myself."
Mr. Chr?tien also spoke passionately about proposed legislation to ban corporate and union donations that has split the Liberal party, saying it is necessary to stop the hijacking of politics by wealthy special interests that is predominant in the United States.
He noted, for example, that it costs $35-million to run one single Senate campaign in the United States -- about the same as it costs for an entire federal election.
whether he thinks he is a better leader than bush, he shouldn't voice his opinion in public. he will never heal any rift by commenting on bush's ability.
Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief
National Post
ATHENS - Jean Chr?tien, the Prime Minister, offered strong criticisms yesterday of George W. Bush, the U.S. President, attacking both his economic stewardship and his conservative social policies.
In a frank discussion with journalists aboard the prime ministerial Airbus en route to a Canada-EU summit in Athens, Mr. Chr?tien took issue with the Bush administration running a US$500-billion deficit while claiming to run a "right-wing" government.
Mr. Chr?tien, who is to speak on the global economy at next week's G8 summit in Evian, France, contrasted his own performance with that of Mr. Bush. He noted that under the Republicans, U.S. economic growth has become weaker and unemployment is rising, while Canada is enjoying strong job creation and growth of 2.5% expected this year.
The Prime Minister laid part of the blame for the U.S. economy's troubles on Mr. Bush.
"We still have surpluses. The Americans will have a $500-billion deficit this year and it is a right-wing government. If we were to equal that we would have to have a $75-billion deficit. Imagine!" he said.
While Mr. Chr?tien claimed to have a good rapport with Mr. Bush, he said he disagrees with him on most major issues because of their ideological gulf.
"Of course we don't think alike on many issues. On social issues, he is a conservative. I am for free choice on abortion. He is not. He is against gun control. I am for it. He is for capital punishment. I am against it. I am a Liberal," he said.
During the conversation, Mr. Chr?tien went out of his way to praise former Democratic president Bill Clinton and noted the two leaders remain close friends and continue to golf together.
This week, Mr. Chr?tien telephoned Mr. Bush to talk about the G8 summit and to try to heal the rift that widened when Canada refused to join the U.S.-led war against Iraq. Canada's stand led to the President cancelling a scheduled May 5 visit to Ottawa.
With retirement in the offing, Mr. Chr?tien was notably frank as he spoke to journalists at the back of the plane, saying that he has been approached for jobs in the private sector after he leaves office next February, but insisted "I am not negotiating with anyone right now."
He said he would not be interested in seeking the top job at the United Nations when Secretary-General Kofi Annan leaves, but suggested he would like to write a weekly newspaper column.
"I am not a candidate for any job anywhere. I don't want to be a bureaucrat. I want to be a free-lancer," he said. "Next year, I might start to write about the press. I think that the paper that signs me will sell a helluva lot of papers."
Throughout his 45-minute talk, Mr. Chr?tien expressed frustration with the Canadian media, arguing that it has largely failed to recognize the accomplishments of his government both on the domestic and international fronts.
"A good lie makes a headline but a good story does not make a headline," he said. "Nobody writes that I do anything good. I am not complaining. I'm at 51% in the polls."
Mr. Chr?tien complained he had not been given proper credit in the media for the international treaty on the elimination of land mines, which the United States, Russia and China have refused to endorse. He said he was the first G8 leader to raise the issue, at the summit in Italy in 1994.
Nor have journalists credited him for the new African aid program announced at last year's summit in Alberta, for pushing for the International Court of Justice and human rights in China, or for saving the Canada Pension Plan, he said.
Mr. Chr?tien said it is not in his nature to brag about his achievements, suggesting this is part of the Canadian psyche. "We Canadians have an inferiority complex and I am part of it. I don't talk about [accomplishments] otherwise you will say I have a big ego and I am the Little Guy From Shawinigan," he said. "I am not for me to write about myself."
Mr. Chr?tien also spoke passionately about proposed legislation to ban corporate and union donations that has split the Liberal party, saying it is necessary to stop the hijacking of politics by wealthy special interests that is predominant in the United States.
He noted, for example, that it costs $35-million to run one single Senate campaign in the United States -- about the same as it costs for an entire federal election.
