Article content

The following is adapted from a recent speech by Ottawa author Bob Plamondon to the Albany Club. It’s based on Plamondon’s latest book, The Shawinigan Fox: How Jean Chrétien Defied the Elites and Reshaped Canada.

Sir John A. Macdonald, Robert Borden, R.B. Bennett, John Diefenbaker, Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper were leaders of majority Conservative governments who all left their mark on our country.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Plamondon: Canada's most conservative prime minister? It's not who you think Back to video

But who was the biggest “small-c” conservative prime minister? Who most lessened the burden of government; paid down public debt; promoted Canadian goods and services around the world; valued work more than welfare; and kept the federal government out of provincial affairs?

Having written a book that covers every Conservative leader from Macdonald to Harper, I conclude that Canada’s most conservative prime minister was the 20th person to hold the job: the Rt.-Hon Jean Chrétien – a Liberal.