Paul Martin

prime minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006

Paul Martin Jr. PC CC KC (born August 28, 1938) is a Canadian politician. He was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada. He was also the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He became prime minister December 12, 2003, when Jean Chrétien stepped down. He won an election on June 28, 2004, because the Liberals won more seats than the other political parties; but they did not win a majority of the seats, so he led a minority government. There was another election on January 23, 2006; his party lost this election, so Stephen Harper became the next prime minister.


Paul Martin

Martin in 2011
21st Prime Minister of Canada
In office
December 12, 2003 – February 6, 2006
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor General
DeputyAnne McLellan
Preceded byJean Chrétien
Succeeded byStephen Harper
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office
November 14, 2003 – March 19, 2006
Preceded byJean Chrétien
Succeeded byBill Graham (interim)
Minister of Finance
In office
November 4, 1993 – June 2, 2002
Prime MinisterJean Chrétien
Preceded byGilles Loiselle
Succeeded byJohn Manley
Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development – Quebec
In office
November 4, 1993 – January 24, 1996
Prime MinisterJean Chrétien
Preceded byJean Charest
Succeeded byJohn Manley
Member of Parliament
for LaSalle—Émard
In office
November 21, 1988 – October 14, 2008
Preceded byClaude Lanthier
Succeeded byLise Zarac
Personal details
Born
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin

(1938-08-28) August 28, 1938 (age 85)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)
Sheila Cowan (m. 1965)
Children3
MotherEleanor Alice Adams
FatherPaul Martin Sr.
ResidenceKnowlton, Quebec, Canada
Alma materUniversity of St. Michael's College (B.A.) University of Toronto
Profession
  • Politician
  • lawyer
  • businessman
  • author
Signature
Websitepaulmartin.ca

Martin was greatly respected, as a Finance Minister, around the world for his fiscal management, because of the growth in the economy and for taking the government out of deficit. His tenure as Prime Minister is generally seen as a disaster by most Canadians.

Martin was born in Windsor, Ontario. His father was a member of the Canadian House of Commons for thirty-three years and was a part of the cabinet. Martin graduated from the University of Toronto in 1961 with a B.A. in history and philosophy and from the University of Toronto Law School in 1965. He married Sheila Martin in 1965.

He was elected to parliament from the riding of LaSalle-Émard in Montreal, Quebec in 1988. He was finance minister from 1993 until 2002. He became known for balancing the budget (ending government borrowing of money). In 2003, he was elected leader of the Liberal party, and was appointed prime minister one month later.

Mr. Martin's government made same-sex marriage legal. It also had problems with the Sponsorship scandal in 2004. In 2006, Parliament passed a vote of no confidence, which forced a national election to be held on January 23. The Liberals lost the election and Martin lost his position as prime minister. Soon afterwards, he resigned his position as leader of the Liberal Party.[1]

After fourteen months in office, Paul Martin got the nickname "Mr. Dithers". He was called so by the magazine The Economist. They say this is because he changed his opinion too often.[2]

References change

  1. "Indepth:Sponsorship Scandal". Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. British magazine dubs Martin 'Mr. Dithers'

Other websites change