Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (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 became Chrétien's longtime rival for the leadership of the party, though he was appointed as 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 sharply cutting spending and reforming programs. In 2002, he left as finance minister as tensions with Chrétien reached their peak. Martin initially prepared to challenge Chrétien's leadership, but when Chrétien announced his intention of retiring, Martin entered the 2003 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election. Martin won the leadership in a landslide, and was sworn in as prime minister that December.