PAUL MARTIN: MR. PRIME MINISTER Introduction

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1 PAUL MARTIN: MR. PRIME MINISTER Introduction Focus This News in Review story focuses on Paul Martin, Canada s 21st prime minister, who replaced Jean Chrétien December 12, It examines Martin s political background, his leadership campaign, his stormy relationship with Chrétien, and what his rise to power will mean for Canadian politics in the early 21st century. YV Sections marked with this symbol indicate content suitable for younger viewers. On November 14, 2003, Paul Martin finally achieved his long-sought political goal, winning the leadership of the federal Liberal Party. Martin s campaign to replace retiring Jean Chrétien resulted in a very strong finish, as he won over 90 per cent of the voting delegates at the party s Toronto convention. Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, his one rival for the top job after John Manley quit the race in July 2003, was only able to gain a handful of votes. In his acceptance speech to the delegates, Martin pledged himself to ensuring a fourth consecutive Liberal victory in the next federal election, widely expected in the spring of He set out an ambitious agenda for change, calling for the party he was about to lead to commit to a new sense of national purpose. He said: in recent times, a kind of complacency, a certain drift, has set in and we ve lost some of the great energy and enthusiasm that Canadians are looking for. In my view, new times require new approaches, and I want to lead a new government with a renewed sense of purpose, and a sharper focus, and a clearer plan (Toronto Star, November 15, 2003). Some read into Martin s comments an implied criticism of the leadership of Jean Chrétien, the man he had lost out to in the 1990 Liberal leadership race. It was an open secret that Martin had long coveted the prime minister s job, and that Chrétien had strongly resented his rival s thinly disguised longing for his post. The two had never been friendly, and when Martin was dropped from the federal cabinet in May 2002, relations between them dipped to their lowest ebb ever. Besides their strong personal animosity and past political rivalries, there were also significant political differences between the Prime Minister and his former finance minister. Chrétien liked to portray himself as the little guy from Shawinigan, the populist who represented the Liberal Party s left, or progressive, wing. Martin was widely perceived as a Bay Street Liberal, closely connected with big business and leaning toward small-c conservative positions on social and economic policies. As an example of this, Martin s proudest boast during his successful leadership campaign was that he had almost single-handedly wrestled Canada s massive budgetary deficits to the ground during the 1990s. But critics of this achievement pointed out that restoring fiscal responsibility had also led to some serious negative consequences, such as the gutting of social programs and an increase in poverty in Canada. Martin s personal and family history also drove his political ambitions. His father, Paul Martin Sr., had been a prominent Liberal cabinet minister in the governments of Louis St. Laurent and Lester B. Pearson during the 1950s and 60s. He had tried and failed twice to win the party s leadership, losing to Pearson in 1958 and to Pierre Trudeau 10 years later. He left federal politics a bitter and disappointed man. He placed his hopes on his son to succeed where he had failed and eventually win the party leadership. Paul Jr. never lost sight of this goal, despite his loss to Chrétien in the 1990 race. Thirteen years later, he was finally able to savour his moment of triumph. CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 6

2 Quote To govern is to lead. We define ourselves by the hard choices we make. We saw that with the deficit. We saw it with the Clarity Act. We saw it with Iraq. We saw it every time we stood tall for Canada. Jean Chrétien (The Globe and Mail, November 14, 2003) In the aftermath of his victory, there is widespread speculation regarding what direction Martin plans to lead the party he now heads and the country he hopes to govern if he wins the next federal election. His past record would indicate that he is likely to continue on a fiscally conservative path, but during his successful leadership campaign he also made promises about spending more on social programs and foreign aid abroad. His much-publicized meetings with rock star Bono, a well-known international spokesperson for the world s poor nations, raised hopes that a Martin government would commit Canada to offering greater assistance for global debt relief. He also pledged to maintain Canada s friendly but independent relationship with the United States, while indicating that he might support this country s integration into a controversial missile defence program with the U.S. Whether or not Martin will steer the Liberal Party to the right or seek to follow some of Chrétien s more popular progressive policy initiatives remains to be seen. His first task will be to assemble a new cabinet, likely to be composed mainly of Liberal MPs who supported him. He will then have to prepare for the next federal election, where he is likely to face a more formidable opposition than Chrétien ever had to confront in the three elections he won so handily. Competing against the Liberals in 2004 will likely be a unified Conservative Party with a new leader, as well as a revitalized NDP led by Jack Layton. Martin will need all of the political savvy, determination, and ability he demonstrated in his bid to win the Liberal leadership if he is to persuade a majority of Canadian voters to give his party yet another term in office. To Consider 1. Why were relations between Prime Minister Chrétien and Paul Martin so strained? What were the main differences between them? 2. Why was winning the position of federal Liberal Party leader so important for Martin? In what respect does he view his victory as a personal vindication? 3. Why is Paul Martin viewed as a small-c conservative, even though he now leads the Liberal Party? What indications are there that he may seek to change this perception of his policies and leadership? 4. Why might winning the next federal election pose more of a challenge to Paul Martin than it did to Jean Chrétien in the three elections he won? 5. If you could vote today, would you vote for Paul Martin and the Liberal Party? Explain. CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 7

3 YV PAUL MARTIN: MR. PRIME MINISTER Video Review This video provides considerable background information on Paul Martin s rise to power in the Liberal Party and the conflicts he faced with Jean Chrétien during his years in politics. It also focuses on the personalities, leadership styles, and accomplishments of the two men, comparing and contrasting them as politicians. 1. Forming Initial Impressions Watch the video, and while doing so jot down any information you think is important or interesting about Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien. Note any significant points of similarity and/or difference between the two men, in terms of their personalities, political ideas, styles of leadership, and accomplishments. When you have finished watching the video, form groups with your classmates to share your impressions of the two men. As a group, prepare a comparison/ contrast between Martin and Chrétien, and also an evaluation of the two politicians. State which of them you think is a more effective leader and why. Once the groups have finished the brainstorming sessions and have developed their comparisons and evaluations, select one person from each group to present their ideas to the rest of the class. After all groups have reported, conduct a whole-class debriefing session, encouraging students to share their reactions to and impressions of the two Canadian politicians featured in the video. 2. Viewing for Information Watch the video again, this time recording the following information: 1. a) Who is the new leader of the federal Liberal Party? b) Whom did he replace? 2. Who was the only other candidate for the party leadership? 3. What major international rock star made a guest appearance at the Liberal convention? 4. a) What cabinet position did Paul Martin hold in the Chrétien government? b) When was he dropped from the cabinet? 5. a) Where was Paul Martin born? b) Where does he live now? c) When was he first elected to Parliament? d) When did he first seek the Liberal leadership? 6. Who was Paul Martin s father, and why was he important politically? 7. How many federal elections did Jean Chrétien win for the Liberals? CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 8

4 8. Why did Chrétien drop Paul Martin from the federal cabinet in 2002? 9. What is the name of the Liberal MP who was a strong Martin supporter within the federal caucus? 10. What did Chrétien list as his three main accomplishments as prime minister during his farewell speech to the delegates at the Liberal convention? 11. a) Who is one of Chrétien s oldest friends? b) To whom did Chrétien lose in his first try for the Liberal leadership in 1984? 12. What are Paul Martin s main priorities as prime minister likely to be? 13. When is the next federal election likely to be called? 3. Reflecting on Political Leadership Watch the video again, and after doing so, form groups and use the following questions to guide your discussion of the nature of political leadership in Canada, focusing specifically on Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin: 1. What factors in Paul Martin s background helped to prepare him for a successful career in politics? 2. What qualities of character and leadership did Jean Chrétien demonstrate during his three terms as prime minister of Canada? 3. Why did Chrétien and Martin become such bitter political rivals? What conclusions about their leadership styles and abilities can be drawn from this conflict? CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 9

5 4. How did Martin prepare the ground for his successful bid to become federal Liberal Party leader from the time he left the cabinet until the November 2003 convention? 5. How would you compare the leadership styles of Chrétien and Martin, in terms of: a) their personalities, b) the major policies with which they are associated, c) their visions of Canada? 6. Do you think Jean Chrétien will be considered a great prime minister of Canada? Why or why not? 7. Do you think Paul Martin will be successful in winning another term in office for the federal Liberals? Why or why not? CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 10

6 YV PAUL MARTIN: MR. PRIME MINISTER The Chrétien Years Further Research To see actual video clips of the Chrétien years, visit the CBC Digital Archives at archives and view the file, Jean Chrétien: From Pool Hall to Parliament Hill. When Jean Chrétien leaves office on December 12, 2003, he will have completed a successful career in Canadian politics, spanning four decades. Along with only three previous prime ministers, John A. Macdonald, Mackenzie King, and his hero, Wilfrid Laurier, Chrétien achieved the remarkable feat of winning three consecutive majority election victories as head of the Liberal Party. Before that, he also served as a cabinet minister, holding several significant portfolios in the government of Pierre Trudeau from the 1960s to the 1980s. Here is a brief overview of Chrétien s life and times, and his major contributions to public life in Canada Jean Chrétien is born in Shawinigan, Quebec, the son of Wellie Chrétien and Marie Boisvert-Chrétien. Chrétien s father is an active local supporter of the Quebec Liberal Party, which the all-powerful Roman Catholic Church in the province still regarded with some suspicion as being antireligious and radical Chrétien marries Aline Chainé of Shawinigan. Eventually they have three children: France, Hubert, and Michel. Aline becomes an important part of Chrétien s personal and political life Chrétien opens a law firm in Shawinigan, and later serves as director of the bar in Trois-Rivières. He becomes known in his community, and the local Liberals approach him to enter politics Chrétien is elected for the first time to the House of Commons in Ottawa, representing the federal riding of Saint-Maurice-Laflèche. In this election, the second in less than a year, the Liberals under Lester B. Pearson oust the governing Conservatives of John G. Diefenbaker, but fail to win a majority in Parliament. At this time, Chrétien s lack of fluency in English is seen as a serious impediment to his future federal political ambitions Chrétien is re-elected, and the Liberals form yet another minority government. Along with him come three new all-star Liberal MPs from Quebec, including Pierre E. Trudeau. During the next two years, as Chrétien s fluency in English improves, he is appointed parliamentary secretary to the prime minister and Minister of Finance After the Liberals, under their new leader Pierre Trudeau, finally win a majority election victory, Chrétien receives his first cabinet post, as Minister of National Revenue. He later assumes the position of Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. During this time, he travels a great deal to remote northern regions of Canada, and witnesses the poor living conditions of many of the country s aboriginal peoples. Chrétien later looks back on his time as Minister of Indian Affairs as the most rewarding part of his political life. He and his wife later adopt an aboriginal child Chrétien is appointed Minister of Industry, Trade, and Commerce. At this time, the separatist Parti Québécois, under the leadership of the charismatic René Lévesque, forms the provincial government in Chrétien s home province. As a committed federalist who supports the idea of Canadian unity, Chrétien becomes a strong opponent of separatism. CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 11

7 Quote Chrétien succeeded in transforming Canada as few have ever done. Eddie Goldenberg (Toronto Star, November 8, 2003) 1977 Chrétien becomes Minister of Finance, one of the most important positions in the federal government. Two years later, he joins his fellow Liberals in a brief spell in opposition as the Conservatives under Joe Clark form a minority government that lasts only a few months, in After Trudeau s Liberals win yet another majority victory, Chrétien is appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and later minister responsible for constitutional negotiations. He plays an active role in the Quebec referendum on sovereignty association, campaigning effectively for the No side, which wins in a split. For the moment, Quebec separatism appears to have been stopped. During the referendum campaign, Trudeau had promised that if the No side prevailed, he would initiate steps to patriate the Canadian constitution, bringing it home from Britain. Chrétien is given the job of handling the delicate negotiations that ensue with the provincial governments After months of difficult talks and painful compromises, Trudeau and the Queen sign the Canadian Constitution in front of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. As Chrétien looks on, he can reflect on the important role he played in the struggle for patriation, along with provincial politicians Roy Romanow of Saskatchewan and Roy McMurtry of Ontario. However, the constitutional problem is not completely solved, as Quebec refuses to sign the accord After Trudeau retires from politics, Chrétien contests the party leadership with fellow cabinet member John Turner, but loses. His loss seems to validate what many believe to be an unwritten rule in the federal Liberal Party that the leadership should alternate between English and French Canadians. In the ensuing election, Chrétien wins his own seat, but Brian Mulroney s Conservatives crush the Liberals. For only the second time in his political career, Chrétien joins the opposition benches. Unhappy with his party s election defeat, for which he blames Turner, he leaves political life in order to pursue his legal career in After four financially successful years practising law, Chrétien re-enters politics, seeking the Liberal leadership after Turner steps down. He defeats rival Paul Martin, who had become an MP for the first time only two years before. The very day that Chrétien wins the Liberal leadership, the Meech Lake constitutional accord, which Brian Mulroney had worked hard to achieve, fails to win ratification. Later that year, Chrétien re-enters the House of Commons in a by-election, representing a New Brunswick riding After three years as Leader of the Opposition, Chrétien and the Liberals win a dramatic victory in a federal election that radically alters the composition of Canadian politics. The governing Conservatives, under their new leader Kim Campbell, who replaced Mulroney, are reduced to only two seats. The NDP also loses ground, as two new groups, the Western-based Reform Party, and the pro-sovereignty Bloc Québécois, win a significant number of seats. Chrétien s Liberals hold a commanding majority in a Parliament that is divided along regional lines like no other in Canadian history Canada comes close to unraveling as a second Quebec referendum on sovereignty results in a very narrow victory for the No side. Chrétien is widely criticized for his failure to CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 12

8 Quote And above all, trust the young generation of Canadians that is coming up. I have a lot of faith in young Canadians today. Jean Chrétien in his farewell speech, November 14, 2003 (Toronto Star) recognize the danger of the Yes side s appeal, under the dynamic direction of Bloc Leader Lucien Bouchard. As a result of this close call, Chrétien vows to bring in legislation to govern the holding of any future sovereignty referenda in Quebec. This eventually comes into effect as the clarity bill, which specifies that for a Yes vote to be recognized, it would have to be based on a clear question with a clear majority in favour Chrétien leads the Liberals to another majority victory, with his party losing some ground in the West and Atlantic Canada. However, none of the four opposition parties is strong enough to pose a serious challenge to the Liberals, and another fragmented Parliament is the result After heading off a potential leadership challenge from Paul Martin, his finance minister, Chrétien calls a snap election, which he wins easily again. One of his party s proudest boasts in the campaign is its success in eliminating the federal budget deficit, a priority of Martin s. Chrétien takes credit for this, despite his misgivings at the time about the negative consequences of drastic spending cuts on government-funded social programs Chrétien announces he will not seek another term as prime minister, and will retire by early Almost immediately, his rival Paul Martin, who had been dropped from the cabinet, begins his unofficial leadership campaign Chrétien declares that Canada will not take part in the U.S. military action against Iraq. This move gains him widespread support across Canada. The Liberal convention held in Toronto chooses Paul Martin to succeed him. Chrétien announces that he will leave office December 12, a few months before his originally stated retirement date. During Chrétien s 40-year political career, he represented the same riding in Quebec, winning 11 federal elections. On his retirement, he was the longest-serving MP in the House of Commons. In his 16 years as a cabinet minister, he held eight different portfolios, under three prime ministers: Pearson, Trudeau, and Turner. In his 13 years as prime minister, he faced and defeated three main opposition challengers: Lucien Bouchard, Preston Manning, and Stockwell Day. Largely written off as yesteday s man prior to his winning the party leadership in 1990, Chrétien confounded his critics and became a significant political leader in Canada. Nicknamed the little guy from Shawinigan, Chrétien proved to both admirers and opponents that he was a wily, skilful political leader, one who could win strong support from Canadian voters in all parts of the country. Activities 1. After reading the above timeline on Jean Chrétien s political career, make a list of what you think were the five most important events in it, and explain the reasons for your selection. 2. Having reviewed Chrétien s political career, do you think he will be remembered in history as a great prime minister? Is greatness different from political skill or success? Give reasons for your opinion. CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 13

9 PAUL MARTIN: MR. PRIME MINISTER Paul Martin The Man and His Plan Further Research To learn more about Paul Martin s background and future plans, consider reading one of the following books published in They are Juggernaut: Paul Martin s Campaign for Chrétien s Crown by Susan Delacourt, (McClelland and Stewart) Paul Martin: The Power of Ambition, by John Gray (Key Porter) and Paul Martin: CEO For Canada? by Murray Dubbin (James Lorimer). I believe passionately that we are at a moment of great opportunity and that we have the national will and the sense of purpose to seize it... this country, Canada, is our country. It belongs to us and we belong to it! So let us join together in our time and make history once again! (Toronto Star, November ). With these words, Paul Martin concluded his acceptance speech to the delegates at the Liberal convention in Toronto who had just chosen him leader on November 14, Martin s moment of triumph was all the more satisfying to him because it came after a long pursuit of the party s helm, a prize that had twice eluded his father, Paul Martin Sr., and that he himself had failed to win over Jean Chrétien in Martin s victory was decisive over 93 per cent of the voting delegates had cast their ballots in his favour. His one remaining rival, Sheila Copps, had even conceded defeat before the votes were counted. John Manley, who might have made the leadership race a real contest, had already bowed out in July 2003, recognizing the inevitability of Martin s victory. But now that Martin had captured the party leadership, Canadians wanted to know more about the man and his plan for the country. Here is a brief biography of Paul Martin, and an analysis of what are likely to become his main political priorities upon his assuming the post of prime minister of Canada. The Man Paul Martin was born on August 28, 1938, in Windsor, Ontario. His father, Paul Martin Sr., was a Liberal MP for the area, and would later become a federal cabinet minister. At the University of Toronto, Martin studied law and philosophy but was better known for the active social life he engaged in there. He had studied French in elementary school and had become fluently bilingual. During his father s long absences on political business in Ottawa, Martin developed a strong emotional tie with his mother, Nell, who encouraged his political ambitions. He played a key role in his father s election campaigns, learning a great deal about Canadian politics in the process. In 1958, he strongly backed his father s bid to win the federal Liberal leadership. When it failed, he was deeply disappointed. Ten years later, Paul Martin Sr. would be passed over yet again for the party s top spot, losing to the rising star Pierre Trudeau. For Martin, his father s two defeats only served to strengthen his own determination to one day run for, and win, the leadership of the Liberal Party. After leaving university, Martin entered the world of business. Settling in Montreal, he rose to prominence as the director of Canada Steamship Lines, a major shipping company whose operations were worldwide. Martin made millions, and could have become even more successful as a businessman, but the political bug he had inherited from his father proved too strong to resist. Always an avid Liberal partisan on the sidelines, he finally decided to enter federal politics in 1988, winning election as MP for the Montreal riding of Lassalle-Emard. Two years later, he felt that he had established sufficient credibility and recognition within the CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 14

10 Did you know... Paul Martin was able to raise $12- million for his leadership campaign? This was the largest amount raised by a candidate for the leadership of a party in Canadian history. party ranks to make a bid for the leadership following John Turner s resignation. In 1990, the Liberals had spent six years in opposition to Brian Mulroney s governing Conservatives. They were looking for a new leader who would take them back into power, something they were not used to being without. But the unwritten rule of the party that had blocked Jean Chrétien s leadership bid in 1984 proved to be Martin s undoing in After Turner stepped down, Liberal insiders believed that only a French-Canadian with strong backing in Quebec, and considerable past political experience, could return them to office. As a newcomer on the federal scene, and as an anglophone, Martin did not fit the bill. His narrow loss to Chrétien at the party s Vancouver convention in late June 1990 was a bitter disappointment. But Martin did not leave politics. He continued to serve as an opposition MP until the Liberals were triumphantly returned to power in the federal election of Martin assumed the position of finance minister in Chrétien s government, and in 1994 pledged himself to accomplishing the task of eliminating the country s massive federal budgetary deficit, which amounted to $42-billion. This proved to be a difficult undertaking that required massive government spending cuts, especially on valued social programs such as health care, unemployment insurance, and welfare. But Martin persevered, and in the end was able to boast that his cost-trimming policies, along with an improved economic situation, had resulted in a balanced budget and an end to the deficit. The Liberals were able to make much of this achievement in their subsequent election victory of 1997 and even more so in Martin s none-too-subtle soundings of possible support for a leadership bid in early 2000 played a major role in Chrétien s decision to call a snap election in order to secure a third consecutive mandate and stall his rival s ambitions to succeed him. In the short run, this gambit proved successful. However, by 2002 it was clear that there was widespread disillusionment with Chrétien s continuing leadership of the party among many rank-and-file Liberal MPs. Increasingly, they turned to Martin as the only person who could rebuild the party and stand a chance of winning yet another electoral victory. After Chrétien dropped him from the cabinet in May 2002, the road was clear for Martin to begin an unofficial leadership campaign. This campaign switched into high gear after the Prime Minister announced in August of that year his intention to retire. In the meantime, Martin had raised a considerable amount of money to finance his bid for the leadership, far more than any of his potential or actual competitors could match. In the end, only Sheila Copps stayed in the race against Martin, knowing that it was a futile enterprise. During his years as finance minister, Paul Martin came to be regarded as a fiscal conservative, on the right wing of the Liberal Party. Yet he has always maintained that his social and political philosophy is well within the mainstream of the party. He is proud of his father s role in expanding the social welfare state in Canada during the 1950s and 60s. Policies such as medicare and pensions, originally borrowed from the socialist CCF and NDP, came to be the hallmarks of Liberal governments social policies at this time. Martin himself has stated that his father, Paul Martin Sr., was of the same generation and was of the same ten- CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 15

11 Quote I believe the world needs more Canada. Can any one country make a difference? Yes, Canada can. Canada already has. And Mr. Martin is the man to do it. Bono, Toronto Star, November 15, 2003 dency as Tommy Douglas, the first federal leader of the NDP and former CCF premier of Saskatchewan. As far as Martin Jr. is concerned, I could easily identify myself as being out of the Tommy Douglas school. Martin emphasizes the role of government as the provider of public goods for the citizenry. At the same time he recognizes the importance of its living within its means and not amassing huge budgetary deficits that prove to be a severe drain on the federal coffers. Martin s Plan Throughout his successful leadership race, Martin stressed what most observers viewed as his most significant accomplishment during his years as finance minister, the elimination of the federal deficit. To his supporters, this underlined the view that Martin was a fiscally responsible administrator, one who could be trusted with the highest political position in the land. However, to his critics, Martin s reputation as a deficit-fighter who did not hesitate to slash government spending on muchneeded social programs during an economic recession only served to prove that he was a fiscal conservative who cared little for the plight of ordinary Canadians. After winning the Liberal leadership, Martin shifted gears and started to outline his plan for the future, instead of dwelling on his past achievements. He set out an ambitious agenda for change that he hoped would both inspire Liberal activists and gain enough support to propel the party into government for yet another term after the next federal election, widely expected for the spring of Here are some of the main elements of Martin s agenda: 1. A new deal for Canada s cities: Martin has been a strong promoter of increased federal assistance to improve the urban infrastructures of Canada s main metropolitan areas. He calls for a two-pronged approach that would involve consultation between the federal government and municipal leaders prior to the drawing up of a budget, and granting cities fairer access to federal funding, mainly through the use of the federal gas tax as a source of revenue. He has built strong ties with the mayors of Winnipeg and Toronto in order to further this plan. 2. A greater international role for Canada: During the Liberal leadership convention, Martin made much of his personal relationship with the Irish rock star Bono, who is an advocate for the poor countries of the world. Martin indicated that he would increase the level of Canada s spending on foreign aid and use its influence at the United Nations and other international organizations to push for debt relief for the Third World. 3. A new relationship with the United States: Martin has called for closer ties with Washington, while at the same time underlining his commitment to an independent Canadian foreign policy, especially in the prosecution of the war on terrorism. He supported Chrétien s decision to refrain from participating in the war in Iraq, but has called for Canada to enter into George Bush s controversial missile defence program. On the economic front, he has stated that Canada must not permit the United States to pressure Canada to adopt trade policies more sympathetic to its interests, especially in the areas of grain and softwood lumber exports. CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 16

12 Did you know... In spite of all the talk about change, Paul Martin at 65 is only four years younger than Jean Chrétien? 4. Economic revitalization: Martin advocates greater funding for research and development, to assist Canadian industries in becoming more globally competitive. He also plans to reduce Canada s debt-to-gdp ratio by as much as 15 per cent. 5. Preserving social programs: Despite his record as a spending-cutter during his years as finance minister in the 1990s, Martin has called for the preservation and enhancement of Canada s social programs, such as medicare. He is on record as totally opposing any move to introduce a two-tier system of health care that would make superior medical services and facilities available to those who could afford to pay for them. He also wants to reduce hospital wait times and make Canada s healthcare system more preventative and technologically up-to-date. 6. Reducing the democratic deficit: As a backbench Liberal MP, Martin became concerned that the Chrétien style of parliamentary leadership reduced the role of MPs who were not in the cabinet. In order to give ordinary members more say in parliamentary deliberations, Martin has proposed that more free votes be introduced, allowing MPs to express their personal positions on issues, irrespective of the official party line. 7. Improved federal-provincial relations: Martin strongly believes that the federal government must do more to promote dialogue with the provinces, in the interests of national unity. He is especially concerned about Western alienation, the widespread view in the Prairie provinces that Ottawa is not listening to or addressing their regional concerns. Days after winning the leadership, Martin hosted an impromptu conference with the provincial premiers during the Grey Cup game in Regina. The first reaction to Martin s new approach from once-suspicious premiers such as Alberta s Ralph Klein and B.C. s Gordon Campbell was very positive. Martin has gone on record as stating that if Western alienation is greater when he leaves office than it is today, he will view his period as prime minister as a failure. Activities 1. After reading the above passage, discuss the factors that you think are most responsible for Paul Martin s entry into politics and the success he has achieved thus far in his political career. 2. Form groups with your classmates to read, analyze, and comment on Paul Martin s agenda for change in Canada. State your opinions on it, indicating which parts of it you would support and/or oppose, and why. Give your views on how successful you think Martin will be in his efforts to sell this agenda to Canadian voters in the next federal election campaign. CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 17

13 YV PAUL MARTIN: MR. PRIME MINISTER Dear Mr. Prime Minister As a culminating activity for this story on Paul Martin s leadership victory and the end of the Chrétien era in Canadian politics, you could write a letter to either the incoming or the outgoing prime minister. Here are some suggestions regarding what you might include in a letter to either Martin or Chrétien: 1. A letter to Jean Chrétien: You could begin by congratulating him on the completion of his career as prime minister, former cabinet minister, and member of Parliament. You could comment on what you view as his most significant achievements and/or failures during his years as prime minister. You might also provide some suggestions to the outgoing prime minister on what kind of future career he could consider pursuing once he leaves political life. 2. A letter to Paul Martin: You could begin by congratulating him on his successful Liberal leadership bid. You might also comment on the main aspects of his agenda for change, indicating which of them you support and/or oppose, and why. You could provide him with some suggestions as to how he should approach important government decisions, such as the composition of his cabinet, the policies he should pursue as prime minister, and the issues he should raise during the next federal election campaign. Use the following postal address for your letters: Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 or pm@pm.gc.ca or fax: Note: Letters addressed to members of Parliament in Ottawa do not require a postage stamp. Be patient. Your letter will be answered. Notes: CBC News in Review December 2003 Page 18