Former PM Chrétien misses throne speech due to minor heart surgery
Eddie Goldenberg, former senior political adviser to Chrétien, says the former leader had "some discomfort" yesterday and a doctor determined that he had a blocked artery.
Goldenberg says a stent was inserted this morning.
Tuesday's speech from the throne officially opened the new Parliament after last month's election and several former prime ministers were present.
It was the first throne speech delivered by a sitting British monarch in Canada in nearly 50 years.
Chrétien is now 91 but has remained active in politics, speaking at the Liberal leadership convention in March and at rallies for multiple candidates during the election campaign in April.
He also attended the swearing-in ceremony for Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet on May 13.
"He says he is feeling fine and plans to be home tomorrow," Goldenberg said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Washington Post
18 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Syria to hold first parliamentary elections since Assad's fall in September
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria will hold parliamentary elections in September, the head of a body tasked with organizing the election process told state media Sunday. Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, told state news agency SANA that elections will take place between Sept. 15 and 20. They will be the first to take place under the country's new authorities after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December.

Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Colorado lawmaker says Gabbard has become ‘weapon of mass destruction' for Trump
'There have been four investigations including a bipartisan Senate investigation led under the first Trump administration in part by Marco Rubio that is very clear on these findings,' he said, referencing Trump's secretary of state. 'These have been investigated and reinvestigated and reinvestigated and nothing has changed up until this past month.' Last week, Gabbard claimed newly declassified documents revealed 'irrefutable evidence' that Obama and his national security team created an intelligence community assessment 'that they knew was false' about Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election. She and Trump said Obama's actions could amount to treason. All sides concede that Russia sought to undermine the election and that Vladimir Putin's government did not succeed in altering vote totals or actual results. The unresolved issue surrounds the question of whether an Obama administration report ignored contrary evidence in offering an intelligence assessment that the Russians preferred that Donald Trump win; Crow claimed that the conclusion was reasonable within the normal give-and-take of intelligence work. Obama officials have labeled the Gabbard claims of treason 'ridiculous,' while Democrats in Congress have accused the administration of trying to distract from the ongoing frustration around the withholding of information regarding the disgraced financier and convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'Let's be really clear again about what's happening here. This is being reinvigorated and concocted because Donald Trump doesn't want to talk about the Epstein files,' Crow said Sunday. Republicans have denied the accusations, instead calling for a full investigation into Obama and the intelligence community leaders under him. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), who spoke to Bream on Sunday shortly after Crow, said the information Gabbard released had been hidden from Republicans for years.

Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Ghana secures first Paris Club debt deal from France
France has signed a bilateral agreement with Ghana to provide debt relief under the country's ongoing external debt restructuring programme, marking a major milestone in Ghana's efforts to recover from unsustainable debt levels following the COVID-19 pandemic. France signed a debt relief agreement with Ghana as part of an external debt restructuring program. This makes France the first Paris Club member to formally support Ghana's financial recovery. Ghana noted economic progress, including inflation reduction, reflecting positive indicators of recovery. The agreement, signed on Friday, July 25, makes France the first Paris Club member to formally commit to debt relief for Ghana. The development follows Parliament's approval of the indicative terms presented by the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), according to Citi Newsroom. Ghana's Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who signed on behalf of the government, described the agreement as ' the most significant milestone' and urged other Paris Club members to follow France's lead. 'We expect to complete the process as soon as possible so that Ghana can breathe again, ' he said. ' Today is a milestone, a milestone in the sense that it has taken us some time to get here. But it is the most significant one. The most significant one, which will pave the way for others to also emulate the steps taken by France in signing this bilateral agreement,' he added. Officials express optimism over broader support from global creditors The signing ceremony was attended by French Ambassador to Ghana Jules Armand Aniambossou, Paris Club Secretary-General and OCC Co-Chair William Roos, and officials from both governments. Speaking at the event and during his presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Dr. Forson noted that inflation had dropped from 54% to 13.7%, adding, 'We have gone through turbulent signs but we can see that hope is in sight.' He also expressed optimism that Ghana's recent economic progress would be recognized by other members of the Paris Club framework, expediting the country's external debt restructuring process. Ambassador Aniambossou said France's decision reflected the strong ties between the two countries. ' When your friend or family member is facing difficulties, you have to show that you are there for them and take some key actions, ' he said. Paris Club Secretary-General William Roos called for stronger collaboration among creditors. ' We have to progressively build a strong trust between France, China, the G20 and Paris Club members,' he said.