When Jean Chrétien was sworn in as prime minister of Canada in 1993, he set an example of fiscal austerity by opting for a simple Chevrolet over the customary limousine.

Under his 10-year leadership, Canada’s $42 billion deficit was wiped out and the country experienced budget surpluses while also cutting $100 billion in taxes.

“It was a tough situation, we did a lot of cutting,” he said while speaking to local high school and college students gathered in the Brown-Lupton University Union ballroom yesterday. “We exempted nobody and the situation changed very rapidly.”

He said when he listens to politicians from the United States, he only hears them talking about cutting taxes, but that increasing taxes should also be part of the national policy because revenues are required to maintain services.

“If you want service, you need to collect the money; it’s just common sense,” he said. “If you keep cutting taxes, the debt will keep getting bigger and bigger, and you kids will have to deal with that eventually.”

He also said the wealthy should bear more of the burden with higher levels of taxation and that the United States should increases sales taxes including a higher gasoline tax to increase revenues.

“It’s tough to do, but it’s doable,” he added.

Chrétien came to campus aspart of the Vicente Fox Forum of World Leaders at TCU, which brings high-profile leaders from across the globe to North Texas in 2012 with the goal of inspiring the next generation.

He told the audience of young people that he had first gotten involved in politics when he was their age because his father wanted one of his children to be a politician.

“I wanted to be an architect, but Dad said ‘you will never get elected as an architect, you’re going to law school.’ In those days when Dad said something we listened. It was not like it is today.”

He also urged them to be politically engaged.

“Democracy works when the citizens are watching it and participating and it is a duty to do that as a citizen,” he said.

After his opening remarks, he was joined on stage by Fox and the two took questions from the audience, addressing topics such as the North American Free Trade Act, which both supported and signed into law.

“Basically it was a huge success,” Chrétiensaid. “There were some problems, but we’ve adjusted to the changes that were needed and the three nations have prospered. To be protectionist only leads to higher costs and inefficiencies.”

Fox said a re-energized commitment to NAFTA is required from the three nations to better compete with the rising economic powers of India and China.

“A new commitment could be the powerful tool that we need right now,” he said.

Fox was the Forum’s first speaker; other world leaders scheduled to speak at the Forum in 2012 include the former Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar; former President of Poland, Lech Walesa; and former President and Prime Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres.

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