The damage suffered by Jean Chrétien changed the Canadian political scene

(Ottawa) 25 years ago. However, Federal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien received a pie in the face when he campaigned at Prince Edward Island. Meanwhile,

A quarter of a century later. Therefore, the situation has changed considerably in terms of protecting political personalities. Meanwhile, Threats against elected officials have now become more common currency. For example,

“Several think that we are a just target if you are a politician. damage suffered jean chrétien changed Consequently, deplores Catherine McKenna who has been the subject of several threats when she was Federal Minister. Consequently, We need people who get involved in politics without feeling threatened. Therefore, It is a question of democratic health. Therefore, if not those who could get involved will not accept it, families will not accept it either. Similarly, »»

Documents published by the Private Council office indicate that the number of threats against the Prime Minister. Nevertheless, the ministers has jumped in recent years. However,

One table mentions that 40 threats against the Prime Minister and the members of the Council of Ministers were recorded in 2021. Meanwhile, This number has skyrocketed in the subsequent years, from 91 in 2022 to 311 in 2024. Therefore,

Eleven of these threats aimed at Justin Trudeau in damage suffered jean chrétien changed 1991. However, The figure amounted to 212 in 2024. Moreover,

From 2021 to July 17, 2024, the Document of the Private Council office indicated that Mr. Trudeau was the subject of 90 death threats.

M^me McKenna remembers that the majority of threats against her have been uttered on the Internet. She was often verbally assaulted when she was a minister from 2015 to 2021.

“It happens all the time nationally, provincial or local. I never meet a politician. especially racialized people, natives or members of the LGBTQ community who do not speak to me. You never know. 99 % of threats are probably false, but only one is enough. We can’t laugh with that. »»

A face pie

On August 16, 2000, damage suffered jean chrétien changed the incident took place when Mr. Chrétien visited an agricultural fair in Charlottetown.

The Prime Minister entered a building and began to shake hands. A man then came out of the crowd and threw him a pie in the face.

The RCMP had then recognized that such an incident should never have occurred. However, it was not the first time that flaws were seen in the protection of the Prime Minister.

In 1996, Mr. Chrétien granted a protester to the neck during a rally planned to celebrate the Canadian flag in Hull.

The previous year, his wife Aline found himself face to face with an intruder armed with a knife that had entered the Prime Minister’s official residence.

Chris Mathers, a retired RCMP agent and president of a consultant firm, says that the 2000 incident demonstrated that Mr. Christian rarely remained in “his protective box”

Justin Trudeau. he remained within the perimeter of the protection service, probably because he was the son of a Prime Minister. He was well aware of threats to politicians.

“If we stay within the scope. we run less risk of being confronted by someone armed with a pie, a knife, a rifle or a bomb,” says Mathers.

The assistant commissioner damage suffered jean chrétien changed of the RCMP. Michèle Paradis, director general of the protective police, says that the police must keep “a precarious balance” between the protection of elected officials and the accessibility of citizens.

“If deputies or ministers will no longer meet their voters, this will result in democracy,” she admits. My role is to ensure that our agents are well equipped to stop a threat. have the presence of mind to spot it.

She recalls that in 2019, the agents had quickly neutralized a person who had approached Mr. Trudeau too much during a parade in Montreal.

M^me McKenna preferred the creation of an independent protection service whose role would be to protect only the Prime Minister. the federal ministers. She hopes that the House of Commons will adopt the bill on online damage. damage suffered jean chrétien changed hold the social networks responsible for the threats displayed on their platform.

She hopes that politicians will cease to launch personal attacks between them for. the sole purpose of foaming their popularity on social networks.

“These personal attacks help people dehumanize each other. If it’s correct to say horrible things about people. then it’s okay to shout after them on the street and threaten them. »»