Paul Martin entered politics after a successful business career as Chairman and CEO of Canada Steamship Lines, but he had been exposed to politics and the Liberal Party from an early age. His father, Paul Martin Sr., was a Liberal cabinet minister under four different prime ministers. Paul Martin made his mark in the Chretien government as finance minister, erasing a multi-billion dollar deficit, paying down debt and bringing in five budget surpluses in a row.
Paul Martin has set three imperatives for his government
- strengthening the social foundations of Canadian life
- building a twenty-first century economy, and
- ensuring Canada's place in the world is one of dignity and pride.
Term of Office as Prime Minister:
2003 to present
Birth:
August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario
Education:
- BA - philosophy and history - University of Toronto
- LL.B. - University of Toronto
Profession:
- Lawyer
- Executive, Power Corporation of Canada
- Chairman and CEO, Canada Steamship Lines
Political Affiliation:
Liberal Party of Canada
Riding:
LaSalle-Emard (in Montreal, Quebec)
Political Career of Paul Martin:
- Paul Martin was first elected to the House of Commons in 1988.
- In 1990, he ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, and came in second to
Jean Chretien
.
- Associate finance critic and critic for the environment in Liberal opposition 1991-93
- Liberals won the 1993 election.
- Minister responsible for Quebec Regional Development from 1993 to 1996
- Minister of Finance 1993 to 2002
- Chair of the G-20, an international group made up of G-7 nations and emerging market nations 1999
- Left the Cabinet in 2002 to run for Leader of the Liberal Party
- Elected Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in November 2003
- Paul Martin was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada on December 12, 2003.
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Susan Munroe
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