Posted on 11/18/2003 8:43:04 AM PST by Loyalist
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced Tuesday that he will retire Dec. 12, clearing the way for Paul Martin to take the reins of power.
Chretien, who had long said he would hang on until February, revealed the early departure date after meeting with Martin, the newly anointed Liberal leader.
The move clears the way for Chretien's successor to open a fresh parliamentary session in the new year and start the clock ticking toward an expected spring election.
Martin said his top priorities will be to prepare a cabinet and set up the new Prime Minister's Office.
Chretien said that once he leaves office he will not play any role beyond that of a quiet supporter of the new Liberal government.
"I'll offer him my best wishes and good luck. I will observe from the sidelines,'' he said, standing beside Martin.
"If he feels he wants to consult me, he knows my number.''
Chretien had been sending signals for some time that he didn't intend to stick to the February retirement target.
The writing on the wall was clear last week when the prime minister put an official end to his last parliamentary session, leaving a handful of key bills unpassed.
Among them were measures to:
Create an independent ethics commissioner to oversee conflict of interest rules for federal politicians. Add seven new seats to the House of Commons by April 1, including four in the West where Martin hopes to boost Liberal fortunes. Outlaw human cloning but allow embryonic stem cell research, the latter move loudly opposed by right-to-life advocates. Decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, a proposal that sparked heated debate within the Liberal caucus. It will be up to Martin, when he outlines his own agenda in a throne speech opening the next session of Parliament in January to decide whether to resurrect those initiatives.
Chretien started charting his course to retirement in August 2002 at a caucus meeting of Liberal MPs and senators in Chicoutimi, Que.
He announced then he wouldn't lead the Liberals into a fourth election, but said he wanted to remain in office until February 2004 -- a schedule that appeared to leave plenty of time for potential challengers to organize leadership runs against the favoured Martin.
In the ensuing months, however, Industry Minister Allan Rock and Deputy Prime Minister John Manley abandoned their efforts. Former industry minister Brian Tobin had given up even earlier.
Only Heritage Minister Sheila Copps stuck it out, and her campaign team proved no match for the organizational and fundraising skills of the Martin camp.
Chretien's meandering, 18-month path to retirement -- dubbed the Long Goodbye by his critics -- became ever more contentious as Martin's ascension to power became ever more certain.
© Copyright 2003 Canadian Press
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