Paul Martin

Paul Edgar Philippe Martin PC CC KC (French: [pɔl maʁtɛ̃]; born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired 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 senator and 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 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 party, though was appointed his minister of finance after the Liberal victory in the 1993 federal election. As minister, 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 drastically cutting spending and reforming various programs. In 2002, he either resigned or was removed as finance minister when tensions with Chrétien reached their peak. Martin initially prepared to challenge Chrétien's leadership; however, when Chrétien announced his intention of retiring, which triggered the November 2003 leadership election, Martin won the leadership in a landslide. He was sworn in as prime minister that December.

Martin led the Liberal Party in the 2004 federal election, in which the party retained power as a minority government, losing its majority due to the sponsorship scandal that began to develop in the late 1990s. After the election, Martin's government reached an agreement with provincial premiers on increased healthcare spending, signed the Kelowna Accord to improve the living conditions of 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 after the Gomery Commission released new details regarding the sponsorship scandal, which triggered the 2006 federal election. In that election, Martin and the Liberals were defeated by the newly unified Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper, ending over 12 years of Liberal rule.

Shortly after the defeat, Martin stepped down as Liberal leader and declined to seek re-election in 2008. Evaluations of Martin's prime ministership have been mixed, whereas his tenure as finance minister has been 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 and the not-for-profit behind the Health Impact Fund, the latter of which he serves on as a member of the advisory board. He also sits as an advisor to Canada's Ecofiscal Commission.