He operated more out of calculation than conviction. These predispositions aside, the populist Mr. Chr tien served as the natural repository of Trudeau Liberal support at his party's 1984 and 1990 leadership conventions. Privately, they would often bemoan the low elevation at which Mr. Chr tien carried their torch. He was forever siding with his finance minister, Paul Martin, over his cabinet's left wing. He seemed to them too quick to roll back traditional Liberal programs on the social front and overly accommodating of the provinces, particularly after the 1995 referendum.
Circumstances often dictate actions in politics.
Mr. Chr tien probably followed the course of any pragmatist in fighting deficits and cooling federal-provincial fires. Mr. Trudeau might have done the same. In recent months, Mr. Chr tien has veered heavily in the direction of Trudeau Liberalism. He has advocated spending programs to combat the stresses and strains on lower-income Canadians. He has dueled with the provinces over the role of the central government in health care.