Pat Martin
| Pat Martin | |
Patrick "Pat" Martin (born December 13, 1955 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, representing the riding of Winnipeg Centre for the New Democratic Party.
Martin graduated from Argyle High School in 1974. He worked as a journeyman carpenter for several years, and was employed in forest service, mines and construction. Martin also served as business manager of the Manitoba Carpenters Union from 1989 to 1997, and was vice-president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour for a time. He has been an executive member of the Manitoba Building Trades Council, and was part of the Winnipeg 2000 Economic Development Committee.
Martin was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1997 federal election, defeating Liberal incumbent David Walker by a margin of 10,979 votes to 9,895. His riding of Winnipeg Centre, formerly known as Winnipeg North Centre, was successively represented from 1921 to 1984 by J.S. Woodsworth and Stanley Knowles, two of the most prominent social democratic politicians in Canadian history. Martin's victory over Walker returned the riding to the NDP for the first time since 1988. Martin was re-elected in the 2000 federal election, defeating Liberal Kevin Lamoureux by 11,263 votes to 9,310. He increased his margin of victory in the 2004 election, defeating Liberal candidate David Northcott by about 3,000 votes.
Martin has championed the rights of labour and aboriginal Canadians, and has spoken out against tax loopholes for private corporations. He supported Bill Blaikie for the NDP leadership in 2002-03.[1]
He called for Svend Robinson to be removed from the NDP's foreign affairs portfolio in 2002, after Robinson's controversial visit to the Palestinian Authority.[2]
Martin is an outspoken critic of the monarchy of Canada and has commented in favour of republicanism, both in parliament and in the media, citing the marriage of the Prince of Wales to the Duchess of Cornwall as a reason for the change.[3]
When Liberal leadership candidate Joe Volpe received donations totalling $108,000 from Apotex executives and their wives and children, Martin suggested that these donations had the appearance of fraud. He filed an official complaint on May 29, asking elections commissioner Raymond Landry to investigate whether an attempt had been made to circumvent the Elections Act which banned corporate donations. Volpe responded by promising to return any donations that contravened the letter or spirit of the law.[4]
In June 2008 MP Pat Martin introduced a motion into the House of Commons calling on the government to amend the coat of arms to incorporate symbols representing Canada's First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
In 2010, Martin stated that the social-service organization Youth For Christ were "evangelical fundamentalists" who were "preying on vulnerable kids".[5] This statement was made when he was stating his opposition to funding an $11 million youth center being built on Winnipeg's Main Street by the organization. The Winnipeg Free Press called Martin's comments irrational.[6] Spokespeople from Aboriginal organizations that work in inner-city areas have, however, noted that Youth for Christ is more evangelical than most faith-based charities and hostilely refers to non-Christians as "deniers".[7]
Electoral record
| Canadian federal election, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |
| New Democrat | Pat Martin | 12,285 | 48.9% | +0.5% | $42,608 | |
| Conservative | Kenny Daodu | 5,437 | 21.7% | +2.1% | $20,177 | |
| Liberal | Daniel Hurley | 3,922 | 15.6% | -8.7% | $37,980 | |
| Green | Jessie Klassen | 2,777 | 11.1% | +4.0% | $2,733 | |
| Independent | Joe Chan | 226 | 0.9% | |||
| Lyle Morrisseau | 212 | 0.8% | ||||
| Independent | Ed Ackerman | 135 | 0.5% | |||
| Communist | Darrell Rankin | 119 | 0.5% | -0.2% | ||
| Canadian federal election, 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |
| New Democrat | Pat Martin | 13,805 | 48.4% | +3.02% | $58,778 | |
| Liberal | Ray St. Germain | 6,940 | 24.3% | -10.38% | $27,375 | |
| Conservative | Helen Sterzer | 5,554 | 19.5% | +5.94% | $37,740 | |
| Green | Gary Gervais | 2,010 | 7.1% | +2.81% | $2,651 | |
| Communist | Anna-Celestrya Carr | 199 | 0.7% | +0.27% | $295 | |
| Total valid votes | 28,508 | 100.00% | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 231 | |||||
| Turnout | 28,739 | |||||
| Canadian federal election, 2004 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |
| New Democrat | Pat Martin | 12,149 | 45.38% | $51,914 | ||
| Liberal | David Northcott | 9,285 | 34.68% | $67,134 | ||
| Conservative | Robert Eng | 3,631 | 13.56% | $7,572 | ||
| Green | Robin (Pilar) Faye | 1,151 | 4.29% | $2,087 | ||
| Marijuana | John M. Siedleski | 346 | 1.29% | |||
| Communist | Anna-Celestrya Carr | 114 | 0.42% | $654 | ||
| Independent | Douglas Edward Schweitzer | 92 | 0.34% | |||
| Total valid votes | 26,768 | 100.00% | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 188 | 0.70% | ||||
| Turnout | 26,956 | 45.08% | ||||
| 2000 federal election : Winnipeg Centre edit | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||
| New Democratic Party | (x)Pat Martin | 11,263 | 41.26 | $55,756.93 | ||
| Liberal | Kevin Lamoureux | 9,310 | 34.11 | $55,979.28 | ||
| Canadian Alliance | Reg Smith | 3,975 | 14.56 | $8,032.54 | ||
| Progressive Conservative | Michel Allard | 1,915 | 7.02 | $1,460.02 | ||
| Green | Mikel Magnusson | 698 | 2.56 | $1,572.64 | ||
| Communist | Harold Dyck | 134 | 0.49 | $288.78 | ||
| Total valid votes | 27,295 | 100.00 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 236 | |||||
| Turnout | 27,531 | 52.56 | ||||
| Electors on the lists | 52,383 | |||||
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
| Canadian federal election, 1997 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
| New Democrat | Pat Martin | 10,979 | 40.9% | |||
| Liberal | David Walker | 9,895 | 36.9% | |||
| Reform | Reginald A. Smith | 3,095 | 11.5% | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Campbell Alexander | 2,442 | 9.1% | |||
| Independent | Greg Krawchuk | 148 | 0.6% | |||
| Marxist-Leninist | Glenn Michalchuk | 136 | 0.5% | |||
| Independent | Darrell Rankin | 108 | 0.4% | |||
| Independent | Didz Zuzens | 44 | 0.2% | |||
References
- ↑ "Bill Blaikie deserves our support" [letter signed by 40 sitting and former NDP MPs], Globe and Mail, 13 December 2002, A25.
- ↑ Friscolanti, Michael, "NDP MPs say Robinson must be demoted: Manitoba premier agrees", National Post, 18 April 2002, A12.
- ↑ "Cheers, jeers in Ottawa greet marriage plan" by Tonda MacCharles; Toronto Star; 11 February 2005; page A6
- ↑ Joan Bryden, "Volpe vows to return donations if they violate spirit of law", Canadian Press, 31 May 2006, 18:19 report. Martin initially accused Volpe of deliberately orchestrating fraudulent donations, but withdrew these comments after he was threatened with a libel suit.
- ↑ http://www.winnipegsun.com/comment/columnists/2010/02/19/12955296.html "Pat Martin's harm turns into good" by Paul Boge; Winnipeg Sun; 22 February 2010
- ↑ http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/mr-martins-outburst-irrational-84764497.html "Pat Martin's outburst irrational" ; Winnipeg Free Press; 19 February 2010
- ↑ Roussin, Diane; Christensen, Tammy (February 23, 2010). . Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/commentary/public-funds-youth-christ. Retrieved September 12, 2010.