Liberal thinkfest: Jean and Paul's two cents

Former prime ministers Paul Martin and Jean Chretien meet at the Liberal leadership convention 2006 in Montreal. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

All five (living) former leaders of the Liberal Party are in Montreal for the Canada 150 conference.

Walking into the gathering this morning, former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin spoke very briefly with reporters.

I asked both men what they felt was the best idea to come out of the party's last "thinkers conference" at Aylmer, Quebec in 1991.

Martin responded, "I think the fact that you could deal with the economic problems and you could have a very strong social vision at the same time and you simply had to mesh them."

Chrétien said, "there were a lot of them (good ideas) but to make sure we win the next election, I think."

He added, "We can't re-invent the wheel," and that the 1991 conference was just a component of his success...and that the main thing is to do everything right.