Paul Martin

J.L. Granatstein, distinguished research professor emeritus of history
at York University, is the author of Who Killed Canadian History?, and
co-author of The Canadian 100: The 100 Most Influential Canadians of the
20th Century and the Dictionary of Canad

Paul Martin, the minister of finance in the Chrétien government, is an
interesting character. His father (after whom he is named) was a
long-serving political figure who had a major impact on Canadian social
policy and external relations. Despite his successes, however, Martin
pиre never took the brass ring, losing to Mike Pearson in 1957 and
Pierre Trudeau in 1968 at Liberal leadership conventions. Martin fils
has had a huge impact on Canadian finances, playing the lead role in
battling the budget deficit since 1993 and effectively setting the
agenda of the Liberal government. But Martin has already lost one
leadership race to Chrétien, and there is no guarantee at all, despite
his position as the natural successor to the present prime minister,
that he will win another leadership convention—whenever that might be.

Chodos, Murphy, and Hamovitch, who have coathored several books
together, work smoothly as a team. Their inclinations are leftish, but
they can look at this big-business Liberal without rancor and with
understanding. Even so, they conclude that Martin has only negative
achievements to his credit (e.g., balancing the budget) and has
accomplished little that is creative. Indeed, Martin’s major
achievement has been to dismantle much of his father’s social welfare
legacy. Given that there seemed to be few alternative courses of action
to those Martin followed, however, one should perhaps question the
authors’ negativity. What else could have been done? Whether corporate
Canada or the Liberal Party will give Martin his reward remains unknown
and uncertain, and much will likely depend on the pace of Martin’s tax
cuts, businesses’ latest mantra for Canada.