Jean Charpentier (May 14, 1935 – January 8, 2010) was a Canadian journalist who served as the press secretary for Pierre Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, from 1975 until 1979.
[1] Fulgence Charpentier worked for the Canadian federal government as a diplomat and wartime censorship director during World War II.
[1] His father was posted to the Canadian embassy in Paris, under Georges Vanier in 1948, and was the first Ambassador to African francophonie, based in Cameroon, beginning in the 1960s.
His family had connections to then Prime Minister Trudeau through his father and two brothers, who were all diplomats in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
[2] Trudeau severely disliked the press corps,[2] who had developed a reputation for confronting parliamentarians in the hallways of Parliament with difficult questions.
[2] He won the respect of the press corps by balancing the competing interests of the print and broadcast media, and, more importantly, the French and English-speaking reporters.
[1] The Canadian government asked Charpentier to arrange the official papal visit by Pope John Paul II to the country.