BEING A POPULIST WAS AN IMAGE CHRÉTIEN CULTIVATED.

his hands. The prime minister threw everything he could at the referendum — drawing on his reputation and reversing long-standing positions — to move the vote his way. Had he lost the vote, Chrétien is unlikely to have survived in office. More important, it would have been chaos for Canada.

There is one key question that the Monday morning quarterbacks rarely ask. Even if the federal forces had anticipated that Bouchard would be elevated mid-campaign, what might they have done about it beforehand? Certainly, no one would have predicted such a monumental shift in voting intentions. By passing the negotiation baton to Bouchard, Parizeau effectively surrendered his leadership, an astonishing move for someone with such a monumental ego.

Had the separatist forces thought this would change the game in their favour, they would have done it many Quebecers were voting Yes simply to give their provincial government a strong hand in negotiating a better deal from Ottawa. He wanted to make it more difficult for them to take that risk. It was Chrétien who said that a Yes vote was a vote for separation. But if the federalists had come up short, Chrétien had a plan that has never been revealed, until now. First, he would have reneged by saying that the referendum question was unclear and that there was nothing in the Canadian constitution that contemplated separation. Québec sovereignists would undoubtedly have used Chrétien’s words in the referendum campaign against him. Parizeau would likely have continued to implement his project, seeking recognition from foreign governments and dismantling links with the federal government.

At that point, Chrétien would not argue with mere words. He would need a

Only once in Canadian history has an elected prime minister effectively been overthrown. And it didn’t happen because of corruption, incompetence, or even unpopularity. It didn’t matter that Jean Chrétien was a senior statesman leading a majority government and with a record of accomplishment. Paul Martin orchestrated a takeover of the Liberal party and launched a civil war within its caucus because he was worried that Jean Chrétien would thwart his prime ministerial ambitions.

Martin’s lust for power initially backfired, his impatience only lengthening Chrétien’s time as prime minister. When Martin was finally given the keys to 24 Sussex Drive, his enduring aversion to Chrétien also contributed to his undoing as prime minister. When Martin should have been using his energy to counter a united conservative movement, he extended the civil war within Liberal ranks, which weakened his party and led to its defeat in the