THROWBACK THURSDAY 1995 - The Finance Minister Was Taking Your Calls. Live. On TV

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift · Mar 27, 2026 · 7m

1995 Canada had a finance minister who went on Canada AM and took unscreened phone calls from Canadians about his budget cuts. Paul Martin sat there and answered them. Jean Chrétien was on CBC making a personal plea for national unity with the Quebec sovereignty referendum approaching. Canadian peacekeepers were in Bosnia. That was the political backdrop of one single year.

Forrest Gump was still in theatres. Shawshank Redemption was playing. Braveheart was coming. Tommy Boy was out. The Ford Explorer was popular and did not yet have massaging seats. These details do not feel like…