Martin, Paul

Martin, Paul

 in full Paul Joseph Martin, Jr.

(born Aug. 28, 1938, Windsor, Ont., Can.) Canadian prime minister (2003–06). The son of Paul Joseph Martin, who served as a minister in four Liberal governments, the younger Martin studied law at the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in 1966. Instead of practicing law, however, he joined Canada Steamship Lines, a freight carrier he purchased in 1981. From 1993 to 2002 Martin, a member of the Liberal Party, served as minister of finance in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's government. Highly successful in the post, Martin eliminated a large budget deficit, achieved five consecutive budget surpluses, and secured the largest tax cut in Canadian history. In 2003 Martin succeeded Chrétien as leader of the Liberal Party and as prime minister. He was elected prime minister in his own right in 2004 but was ousted from office following his party's defeat in the 2006 Canadian general election.