Paul Martin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 21st Prime Minister of Canada
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
The son of former secretary of state for external affairs Paul Martin Sr., Martin was a lawyer from Ontario before he became president and the chief executive officer of Canada Steamship Lines in 1973. He held that position until his election as a Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of LaSalle—Émard in 1988. Martin unsuccessfully ran for leader of the Liberal Party in 1990, losing to Jean Chrétien. Martin would become Chrétien's longtime rival for the leadership of the Liberal party, though was appointed his minister of finance after the Liberals won a landslide majority government in the 1993 federal election. Martin 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.
In 2002, Martin resigned as finance minister when the tension with Chrétien reached its peak. He initially prepared to challenge Chrétien's leadership, though Chrétien announced his intention of retiring, triggering a leadership election scheduled for 2003. On November 14, 2003, Martin succeeded Chrétien as leader of the Liberal Party and became prime minister on December 12, 2003. In the 2004 federal election, the Liberal Party retained power, although only as a minority government. During his tenure, Martin's government signed the Kelowna Accord to improve living conditions for indigenous peoples and legalized same-sex marriage. In 2005, the opposition parties in the House of Commons passed a motion of no confidence contending that Martin's government was corrupt, as a result of new details from the sponsorship scandal that were released through the Gomery Report, triggering the 2006 federal election. Largely as a result of the emerging details surrounding the scandal, Martin was defeated by the newly unified Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper, ending over 12 years of Liberal rule. Shortly after, Martin stepped down as leader of the Liberals, handing the reins to Bill Graham who was later permanently succeeded by Stéphane Dion. Martin declined to seek re-election in the 2008 federal election. Evaluations of Martin's prime ministership have been mixed, whereas his tenure as finance minister is viewed more favourably.
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. He also sits as an advisor to Canada's Ecofiscal Commission.