Confident and Smug

Indeed, Chretien exudes(ed) a respectable confidence in carrying out his duties; in retirement, he's also allowed to be a little bit smug. When several Canadian banks had it in their mind to merge (in 1998), arguing it would make them more competitive, the government blocked the deals from going through. Mr. Chreitien, though unwittingly, has left us in a generally favourable position heading into the current economic crisis; for this we ought to be appreciative.