Paul Martin

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Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada from December 12, 2003, to February 6, 2006. Martin served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of LaSalle—Émard in Montreal from his election in the 1988 election to his retirement in 2008.

He served as minister of Finance from 1993 to 2002.

He oversaw many changes in the financial structure of the Canadian government, and his policies had a direct effect on eliminating the country's chronic fiscal deficit by reforming various programs including social services. On November 14, 2003, Martin succeeded Jean Chrétien as leader of the Liberal Party and became prime minister on December 12, 2003.

After the 2004 election, his Liberal Party retained power, although only as a minority government.

Forced by a confidence vote to call the 2006 general election, which he lost, Martin stepped down as parliamentary leader, handing the reins to Bill Graham.

The Liberals then assumed the role of official opposition to a Conservative government, led by Stephen Harper.

Martin stayed on as party leader until he resigned on March 18.

He was eventually succeeded by Stéphane Dion. Now seen as a global diplomat, Martin continues to contribute on the international arena through a variety of initiatives such as Incentives for Global Health, the not-for-profit behind the Health Impact Fund, where he serves as a member of the Advisory Board. Martin sits as an advisor to Canada's Ecofiscal Commission.

Early life

Martin was born at Hôtel-Dieu of St. Joseph Hospital in Windsor, Ontario, and grew up in Windsor and Ottawa. His father, Paul Martin Sr., a Franco-Ontarian of Irish and French descent, served 33 years as a member of the House of Commons of Canada, and was a Cabinet minister in the Liberal governments of Prime Ministers W. L. Mackenzie King, Louis St. Laurent, Lester B. Pearson, and Pierre E. Trudeau. His mother, Eleanor "Nell" Alice (née Adams), was of Scottish and Irish descent. He had one sister, Mary-Anne Bellamy, who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at a young age. She died on July 20, 2011. Martin contracted polio in 1946 at the age of eight (like his father, who contracted the disease in 1907). To give him the opportunity to improve his French, his parents enrolled him in a private French-language middle school, École Garneau, in Ottawa.

Martin then briefly attended the University of Ottawa before transferring and graduating from St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto with a B.A. in history and philosophy in 1961. He was a member of the U of T Young Liberals during his time at the University of Toronto. He then attended the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he received an LL.B. in 1964. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1966.

On September 11, 1965, Martin married Sheila Ann Cowan, with whom he has three sons: Paul, Jamie and David.

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Business career

Power Corporation owned a majority interest in Canada Steamship Lines in 1969. Paul Martin, the 32-year-old executive assistant to Power Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maurice Strong, was elected to the CSL board of directors on December 2, 1970. In 1971, CSL minority shareholders sold outstanding shares to Power Corporation, making CSL a Power Corporation affiliate.

In 1972, CSL was forced to pay unexpected costs associated with the construction of three 80,000-ton ocean-going tankers at Davie Shipbuilding. Martin was named president and CEO of the CSL Group on November 22, 1973. An eight-week strike on the Great Lakes in 1974 brought CSL's earnings even higher.

Power Corporation reversed itself and took over the investment portfolio that had been sold to CSL five years ago in 1976. CSL's operations were moved to a Power Corporation operating division.

Early political career (1988–1993)

Martin was first elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the southwestern Montreal riding of LaSalle-Émard in 1988. At every election until he resigned from politics, he was re-elected with no difficulty.

The Liberal Party was defeated under John Turner's leadership in 1984, losing to just 40 seats. Martin was approached by a group of young Liberals as a potential replacement for Turner, and although he did not participate in a plot to overthrowen Turner, he was prepared to replace him if the position was open.

Martin ran for the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership in 1990, losing to Jean Chrétien in a bitter election that culminated in lasting animosity between the two men and their allies. In Montreal, where the discussion quickly turned to the Meech Lake Accord, a critical moment in the race took place. Martin, who was favoring Meech, attempted to convince Chrétien that he should abandon his nuanced position on the deal and declare whether or not it is against it. The young Liberal delegate crowding the hall began to chant "vendu" ("sell out") and "Judas" at Chrétien as Chrétien refused to accept the agreement. Chrétien was outraged by the floor's reaction and another outburst by Martin supporters at the convention, when Chrétien accepted the party's leadership. Jean Lapierre and his allies, who aided Martin, wore black armbands at the convention to protest Chrétien's triumph. The Meech Lake agreement had been officially suspended just one day before the Liberal leadership was set to be determined. Lapierre then crossed the floor to the newly formed Bloc Québécois in the House of Commons.

Martin co-authored the election platform Creating Opportunity, colloquially known as the Red Book, following the leadership convention. In 1993, the Liberal Party gained a landslide majority government.

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