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Martin in 2006

21st Prime Minister of Canada
In office December 12, 2003 – February 6, 2006
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Adrienne Clarkson Michaëlle Jean
Deputy	Anne McLellan
Preceded by	Jean Chrétien
Succeeded by	Stephen Harper
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office November 14, 2003 – March 19, 2006
Preceded by	Jean Chrétien
Succeeded by	Bill Graham (interim)
Minister of Finance
In office November 4, 1993 – June 2, 2002
Prime Minister	Jean Chrétien
Preceded by	Gilles Loiselle
Succeeded by	John Manley
Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development – Quebec
In office November 4, 1993 – January 24, 1996
Prime Minister	Jean Chrétien
Preceded by	Jean Charest
Succeeded by	John Manley
Member of Parliament for LaSalle—Émard
In office November 21, 1988 – October 14, 2008
Preceded by	Riding established
Succeeded by	Lise Zarac

Personal details
Born	Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (1938-08-28) August 28, 1938 (age 86) Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Sheila Cowan (m. 1965)
Children	3
Parents	Paul Martin Sr. (father) Eleanor Alice Adams (mother)
Residences	Knowlton, Quebec, Canada
Alma mater	University of Toronto (BA, LLB)
Profession	Politician lawyer businessman author
Signature

Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.

Paul Martin is the son of Paul Martin Sr., who was also a well-known politician. Before entering politics, Paul Martin Jr. was a lawyer and led a shipping company called Canada Steamship Lines. He became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1988.

He ran to become the leader of the Liberal Party in 1990 but lost to Jean Chrétien. However, after the Liberals won the 1993 election, Martin became the Minister of Finance. In this role, he made big changes to Canada's finances. His policies helped to get rid of the country's deficit, which is when the government spends more money than it collects. He did this by cutting spending and changing government programs.

In 2002, he left his role as finance minister. When Jean Chrétien announced he would retire, Martin ran for the Liberal Party leadership again in 2003 and won by a large margin. He became prime minister in December 2003.

As prime minister, Martin's government signed the Kelowna Accord to improve life for Indigenous peoples in Canada. His government also made same-sex marriage legal across the country. In 2005, his government faced a motion of no confidence from other political parties. This happened because of a problem called the sponsorship scandal. This led to an election in 2006, where Martin and the Liberals lost to the Conservative Party of Canada led by Stephen Harper. This ended more than 12 years of Liberal rule.

After the election, Paul Martin stepped down as Liberal leader. He did not run for re-election in 2008. Today, he is seen as a global diplomat and works on international projects, including those related to global health and economic issues.

Early Life and Education
Business Career
Early Political Career (1988–1993)
Minister of Finance (1993–2002)
Becoming Prime Minister
Prime Minister (2003–2006)
- Sponsorship Scandal and 2004 Election
- Leading a Minority Government
Life After Prime Ministership (2006–Present)
Honours and Recognition
Honorary Degrees
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Paul Martin was born in Windsor, Ontario, on August 28, 1938. He grew up in Windsor and Ottawa. His father, Paul Martin Sr., was a politician who served in the Canadian Parliament for 33 years. His mother was Eleanor "Nell" Alice Adams. Paul Martin also had a sister named Mary-Anne.

When he was eight years old, Paul Martin got polio, a disease that can affect muscles. To help him learn French, his parents sent him to a French-language school in Ottawa.

He later studied at the University of Toronto, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and philosophy in 1961. He then went to law school at the University of Toronto and received his law degree in 1964. He became a lawyer in Ontario in 1966.

On September 11, 1965, Paul Martin married Sheila Ann Cowan. They have three sons: Paul, Jamie, and David.

Business Career

In 1973, Paul Martin became the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the CSL Group, also known as Canada Steamship Lines. This company was involved in shipping. He led the company through some challenging times, including losses in 1972 and a strike in 1974. He held this important position until he was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1988.

Early Political Career (1988–1993)

In 1988, Paul Martin was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of LaSalle-Émard in Montreal. He was re-elected easily in every election until he retired from politics.

In 1990, Martin ran to become the leader of the Liberal Party. He lost to Jean Chrétien in a close and competitive race. This leadership contest created some disagreements between the two politicians and their supporters.

After the leadership race, Martin helped write the Liberal Party's election plan, which was known as the "Red Book." The Liberal Party won a large majority in the 1993 election.

Minister of Finance (1993–2002)

After the Liberals won the 1993 election, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien chose Paul Martin to be the Minister of Finance. At that time, Canada had a very large government debt.

As finance minister, Martin made big cuts to government spending. These cuts helped to reduce Canada's debt. By 1998, Canada had a balanced budget, meaning the government was not spending more than it earned. This was a big achievement, as it had only happened twice in the previous 36 years.

Martin also worked with finance ministers from all provinces to discuss the future of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). He led a public discussion that resulted in important changes to the CPP, helping to prevent a future pension crisis.

While many people praised Martin's work as finance minister, some also pointed out that the spending cuts affected government services, especially in health care.

Becoming Prime Minister

The relationship between Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin became difficult over time. In 2002, Martin left the Cabinet. Soon after, he announced he would run for leader of the Liberal Party again.

Over the summer of 2002, Martin traveled across the country, campaigning to become the next leader. In the fall, Chrétien announced he would step down in 2004. This led to a leadership election for the Liberal Party in the fall of 2003.

Paul Martin won the leadership election easily on September 21, 2003, getting 93 percent of the votes from party delegates. He was officially declared the winner on November 14, 2003.

Prime Minister (2003–2006)

On December 12, 2003, Paul Martin became the 21st Prime Minister of Canada. When he took office, he chose a new Cabinet, keeping only about half of the ministers from Chrétien's government. This was a big change from how things usually worked.

Sponsorship Scandal and 2004 Election

In February 2004, a report from the Auditor General of Canada revealed problems with government contracts in Quebec. These contracts were meant to promote the federal government, but much of the money was misused. This became known as the sponsorship scandal. The scandal hurt Martin's popularity, especially in Quebec. Martin called for a special investigation, known as the Gomery Commission, to look into the scandal.

Because of the scandal, Martin decided to call an election for June 28, 2004. The Liberal Party faced a new, united Conservative Party of Canada led by Stephen Harper. The Liberals also had less money for their campaign because a new law banned large company donations.

Despite these challenges, Martin's Liberals won the election. However, they formed a minority government, meaning they did not win enough seats to have full control and needed support from other parties to pass laws. This was the first minority government in Canada since 1979.

Leading a Minority Government

As a minority government, Martin's team faced challenges from other parties. They had to work hard to get their laws passed.

Key Policies and Achievements

Martin's government focused on several important areas:

Healthcare Funding: In 2004, Martin and the leaders of the provinces agreed on a plan to increase funding for healthcare over 10 years.
Equalization Program: Martin also made changes to the equalization program. This program helps ensure that all provinces can provide similar public services, even if some provinces collect less tax money.
2005 Budget: The 2005 federal budget included new spending for the Armed Forces, the environment, and a national child-care program.
Same-Sex Marriage: In 2005, Martin's government introduced a bill to make same-sex marriage legal across Canada. The law passed in July 2005, making Canada the fourth country in the world to allow same-sex marriages.
Kelowna Accord: In November 2005, Martin's government reached an agreement called the Kelowna Accord with provinces, territories, and Indigenous groups. This agreement aimed to improve health, education, housing, and economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples.

Foreign Relations

Martin alongside U.S. president George W. Bush, April 30, 2004

Paul Martin's government decided that Canada would not join the American National Missile Defense Program. He also worked to build stronger relationships with other countries, including China. Martin also suggested expanding the G8 group of leading countries into a larger group of twenty nations, the G20.

Fall of the Government

The Gomery Commission released its first report in November 2005. It cleared Martin of any wrongdoing in the sponsorship scandal. However, the scandal continued to affect the Liberal Party's popularity.

The opposition parties, including the Conservatives, the NDP, and the Bloc Québécois, introduced a motion of non confidence against Martin's government. This motion passed on November 28, 2005, meaning the government was defeated. This led to a new election, which was held on January 23, 2006.

2006 Federal Election

Before the 2006 election campaign, polls showed the Liberals were ahead. However, the Liberal lead did not last. The ongoing sponsorship scandal continued to hurt their support.

On January 24, 2006, after it became clear that the Conservatives had won the most seats, Paul Martin admitted defeat. He announced that he would resign as the leader of the Liberal Party. He continued to serve as prime minister until Stephen Harper's Conservative government was sworn in on February 6, 2006.

Life After Prime Ministership (2006–Present)

Martin in 2011

After leaving the prime minister's office, Paul Martin did not become the Leader of the Opposition. Instead, he stepped down as the parliamentary leader of his party on February 1, 2006. Bill Graham became the interim leader.

Martin officially resigned as Liberal party leader on March 18, 2006. He remained a Member of Parliament until 2008, when he chose not to run for re-election.

In his later years in public office, Martin focused on projects to help Indigenous education (The Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative) and to protect the Congo Basin rainforest.

Martin in 2021

Since retiring from active Canadian politics, Paul Martin has continued to be involved in international work. He has advised the International Monetary Fund and the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa. He also works with the Martin Family Initiative, which supports Indigenous youth. He lives in Knowlton, Quebec.

In September 2022, Paul Martin attended Elizabeth II's state funeral.

Honours and Recognition

Paul Martin has received many honours throughout his life:

He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.) in 2011, which is one of Canada's highest civilian honours.
He received the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1993.
He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
He holds the title "The Right Honourable" for life, which is given to Canadian prime ministers.

A large ship in the Canada Steamship Lines fleet, a Trillium-class freighter, is named "Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin" in his honour.

Honorary Degrees

Paul Martin has received many honorary degrees from universities across Canada and internationally. These degrees recognize his achievements and contributions. Some of the universities that have given him honorary degrees include: