Canada gets a new leader!!!

[Kurt_eh]

Hopefully Mr. Martin will do his best to aleviate our presently strained relationship that our previous PM's "legacy" left behind...

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/12/12/martin_cab031212

Martin becomes prime minister
Last Updated Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:12:20
OTTAWA - Paul Martin became Canada's 21st prime minister on Friday morning, at the same time installing a new cabinet designed to signal a break from the previous government of Jean Chrétien.

Martin appointed 39 cabinet members, most of them newcomers to the inner circle.

Anne McLellan becomes deputy prime minister and minister of public safety and emergency preparedness.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/pm2_sheila031212.jpg
Paul and Sheila Martin

Her appointment, along with that of Ralph Goodale, who takes on the finance portfolio, marks an effort by Martin to reach out to western Canada, where Liberals have long had trouble electing members of Parliament.

A native cleansing ceremony preceded the swearing in by Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson at Rideau Hall.

Jean Chrétien handed his resignation to Clarkson earlier Friday, closing a 40-year career in federal politics, and a decade as prime minister.

Martin brings with him sweeping changes to cabinet and a promise to usher in broad reforms to the federal government.

"As prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to rally Canadians toward a new sense of national purpose and around a new agenda of change and achievement," Martin said.

"We are going to change the way things work in Ottawa in order to re-engage Canadians in the political process and achieve demonstrable progress on our priorities."

Nonetheless, 15 ministers from Chrétien's cabinet stay, some of them retaining their former roles, including Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham and Environment Minister David Anderson.

Pierre Pettigrew gets both health and intergovernmental affairs. John McCallum moves to veterans affairs. Lucienne Robillard becomes head of the Treasury Board.

Former industry minister and leadership hopeful Allan Rock becomes Canada's ambassador to the United Nations.

Martin has long spoken of the need to address a "democratic deficit" in Parliament.

Backbenchers who serve as parliamentary secretaries to ministers will have larger roles. They are being sworn in to the Privy Council, which gives some of the privileges of cabinet.



Written by CBC News Online staff

[Kurt_eh]

For the record, our political system works this way:

We have a multi-party system to the USA 2-party system.

Canada's voting system is made so that we're divided into small geographical areas of roughly equal population called ridings.

Each party may have one candidate in as many, or as few ridings as they deam fit.

The voters vote for the candidate in their riding.

Wichever party wins the most ridings becomes the Government. The remainder of the parties become the Opposition, with the next largest party becoming the "official opposition."

The leader of the Party "in Power" becomes the Prime Minister. We don't vote for the PM directly.

Mr. Chretien retired his role as PM yesterday, and the Liberal Party of Canada, in the last few months chose Mr. Paul Martin to succeed him.

And that's how Canada can get a new leader without a general election (which is somewhat expected to be called in the next year or so).

One more thing: In the US, the elections are every 4 years like clockwork, with mid-term elections every 2. Right?

In Canada, a government has a maximum term of 5 years, but there are two cases where an election can be called early:
1. The PM decides he wants an election.
2. A vote of "non-confidance" wherein the Government gets defeated on a bill by a huge margin, the opposition can call for a vote of "non-confidance." This is a check-and-balance method to get rid of a weak government. Usually this only happens in the case of a minority government (ie: the winning party has less than 50% of the seats in Parliament).

Clear as mud?

[Kurt_eh]

And some information about Mr. Martin

from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/martin_paul/

INDEPTH: PAUL MARTIN
Paul Martin
CBC News Online | Updated December 11, 2003

On November 14, 2003, Paul Martin was officially named the new leader of the Liberal Party, taking over from Jean Chrétien. He won an overwhelming majority – 3,242 of the 3,453 eligible votes – more than 93 per cent of the ballots.

As one of Canada's most successful finance ministers, Martin was a key developer of the modern Liberal party platform and salvaged the sagging economy. He hopes to have the same effect as prime minister, and has promised to have a more focused and energetic government than that of Jean Chrétien.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/martin_paul/gfx/martin_paul.jpg

Paul Martin
Born: Aug. 28, 1938
Birthplace: Windsor, Ont.
Education: Law, philosophy
Favourite sport to watch: Football
Favourite sport to play: Golf


"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," he said after launching his campaign. "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."

During his time in the finance chair, Canada recorded five consecutive balanced budgets and erased a $42-billion deficit. In 1999, he was named inaugural chair of the G-20, a group composed of emerging market nations.

UN appointment

Near the top of his list of promises is that Canada will assume more of a leadership role on the international stage. This is something he hopes will be helped by his appointment as co-chair of the UN Commission on the Private Sector and Development.

Co-chaired by former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, the commission's aim is to work on ways of stimulating private sector business in emerging countries, with the eventual goal of creating jobs and promoting economic growth.

On the issues

Perhaps spurred by his appointment, Martin said last July that his government would channel more resources to foreign affairs and the military.

Martin says that, as prime minister, he would not lower the GST, and he would try to shorten hospital wait times. He has also promised to mend strained relations with Washington. On May 2, 2003, he said "we've got to be much more sophisticated in terms of the way the entire parliamentary process in this country interacts with their counterparts in the United States."

Martin has also said he wants Canada to join Washington's controversial missile defence program, which some say would turn North America into a fortress. "If there is going to be an American missile going off somewhere over Canadian airspace," he said, "I think Canada should be at the table making the decisions."

During a debate including all three Liberal leadership hopefuls (John Manley was still in the race) on May 3, 2003, Martin said Ottawa must take a strong position against "trade harassment from the United States," describing Washington's handling of disputes over grain and softwood lumber exports as "simply unforgivable."

At a Montreal Board of Trade Luncheon on September 18, 2003, he advocated further government funding for research and development to maintain Canada's position on the cutting edge of the global economy. "Canada's lagging behind the United States in funding for companies that produce revolutionary new products," he said.

Martin also told the business audience that he plans to reduce Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio by as much as 15 per cent.

The prime minister-to-be has also promised a new deal for cities. He has proposed a two-pronged attack:


Urban leaders would be consulted before a federal budget was announced and city officials would be consulted on issues that affect cities, such as immigration.
Cities would have fairer access to reliable and predictable funding. Martin would use the federal gas tax to help municipalities. "There is a hunger to move beyond tired old ways of doing things," Martin told delegates at the Creative Cities Conference in Winnipeg on May 29, 2003.


Personality and style

Martin is an enigma, according to John Gray, who wrote Paul Martin: The Politics of Ambition. Gray says Martin was terrible at speeches when he first arrived on Parliament Hill and his handlers were horrified at his clumsy ways during media scrums. When he became finance minister, an aide notes, Martin didn't understand how RRSPs worked.

That didn't matter, says Gray, because Martin was able to dominate the department through his fiery temper. He is known to lash out at aides. At a get-together at his home, Martin lit into assistant deputy minister Don Drummond during a debate over the GST. When the screaming match ended, Martin announced he needed help with his barbecue and nominated Drummond as his sous-chef. Minutes later, Martin and Drummond were seen laughing together. Aides say he has an unrelenting bulldog style but on the other hand, he's a cautious decision-maker who favours consulting with those in the know before making a pronouncement.

Growing up

Martin is circumspect when speaking about his early years growing up in Ottawa while his father Paul Sr. sat as liberal backbencher. The family had just moved from Windsor where they always spoke English. Martin Sr. saw fit to send the eight-year-old Paul to French school. Martin recalls a lot of school fights. "It's a perfectly natural thing," said Martin in a Globe and Mail interview.

He remembers the strains of having a busy father who was either always going to Windsor, his constituency, or other places on Liberal business. It's his mother Nell who held the family together. Martin's sister Mary Anne says it was a happy childhood otherwise and as children, they never wanted for anything.

His earliest introduction to politics came while travelling around the riding on weekends with his father. Paul Sr., who would serve under four prime ministers, argued in favour of social programs such as medicare and reform of old-age security. Paul Sr., in his memoirs, calls his son "high spirited" and talks about being at a loss as to how to harness his son's energies. He recalls finding out that his son pitched stones at the Soviet Embassy during the height of the Cold War. The incident embarrassed him. Martin says he was just reacting to the political climate of the time.

Man on campus

By the time Martin enrolled at the University of Toronto in 1957, he was a popular, sports-loving young man. Mary Anne says he was handsome and liked girls. While Paul got marks in the top third of his class, it was not due to hard work. Mary Anne says her brother was a "big party guy."

One year later, 1958, that would all change. Martin witnessed his father's defeat to Lester Pearson for the leadership of the Liberal party. It was by a massive margin. Paul Sr.'s memoirs indicate his son and daughter were affected the most by his loss. John Gray says Paul Sr. was an ambitious man whose timing was off and was therefore never able to win political glory. His final attempt at leadership was in 1968 against a very popular Pierre Trudeau. Martin Sr. would become a government House leader in the Senate and Canada's high commissioner in London.

In his father's image

Many times Martin has said he wants to stay true to his father's values, especially in the realm of social policy and health care. He often refers to the late Tommy Douglas, the premier of Saskatchewan first elected in 1944. Douglas headed the first socialist government in North America. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) would become the NDP in 1961.

"My father was out of the…same generation and was of the same tendency as Tommy Douglas," Martin told John Gray. "I could easily describe myself as being out of the Tommy Douglas school."

Martin emphasizes the role of government is to provide "public goods."

[VBKatLou]

Originally posted by Kurt_eh
For the record, our political system works this way:

We have a multi-party system to the USA 2-party system.

Well, Democrats and Republicans are the two largest parties, but there are others.


Wichever party wins the most ridings becomes the Government. The remainder of the parties become the Opposition, with the next largest party becoming the "official opposition."

In our Congress, it's called the majority and minority, but 'Opposition' would probably be a more accurate term. :D


more thing: In the US, the elections are every 4 years like clockwork, with mid-term elections every 2. Right?

Presidential is every 4, Congress is every 6. Some states (mine is one of them) have set term limits for their members of congress. In Ohio, a congressman can only serve 3 (6-year) terms and then they aren't allowed to run any more.

All in all, it doesn't sound like our two governments are that different.

[Nicola]

Thanks for the update, Kurt.

[generic_screenname]

Can I get a mop over here? My brain just exploded.

[Kurt_eh]

Thanks VBK...

edited to add: Perhaps I should have phrased it "for all intents and purposes a two party system." :D

[stellar]

What's his favorite beer? Can he skate?

[DentArthurDent]

Originally posted by VBKatLou
Well, Democrats and Republicans are the two largest parties, but there are others.<>Presidential is every 4, Congress is every 6.

I dunno, VBKatLou, on paper yeah, they look similar, but I couldn't find a member of congress, House or Senate, that wasn't a democrat or republican. In effect it is a 2 party system, even if in theory it is multiple parties, at the National level. At the state level, I don't know how many indepenents there are, but I'll guess it's vanishingly small.

As for elections every 2 years That is true for the hous, and every six for the senate in rotation, with 1/3 up for election every 2 years. -- this from usinfo.states.gov:

>>Throughout its history, the United States has never had more than two major parties; in this decade, in fact, only one person not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican party (which have been America’s two major parties since 1860) has been elected to the House, and none has won a seat in the Senate. <<

[fermicat]

Well, there is ONE independent in the Senate (Jeffords), who used to be a Republican.

Edit: Just looked it up, and in the 108th Congress, there are 435 members -- 229 Republicans, 205 Democrats, and 1 independent.

Arthur Dent was also correct about elections. Every two years, all members of the house are elected, and for the Senate the terms are 6 years, with one third of the seats up for election every two years.

[DentArthurDent]

Oh, yeah Jeffords, forgot about him...

[stellar]

:floss:

[VBKatLou]

Originally posted by DentArthurDent
I dunno, VBKatLou, on paper yeah, they look similar, but I couldn't find a member of congress, House or Senate, that wasn't a democrat or republican. In effect it is a 2 party system, even if in theory it is multiple parties, at the National level. At the state level, I don't know how many indepenents there are, but I'll guess it's vanishingly small.

Well I was just being polite, because I know there are a number of Independents and Libertarians that post here and I didn't want them to feel left out. :)

[DentArthurDent]

We appreciate that VBKatLou ;) I'm every politicians worst nightmare... An Independent that votes their conscience. Actually that leads to arguments too...politics can be a very VERY touchy subject... ;)

AFD

[VBKatLou]

Originally posted by DentArthurDent
...politics can be a very VERY touchy subject... ;)
AFD

Tell me about it. Mom's a Democrat and Dad's a Republican. They've been together 51 years. When we argue politics, we always end with a joke. I guess it's because we believe that no matter how much we complain about a given current US government, there are other countries on the planet whose form of leadership/government is way worse than anything the Americans have come up with (and I'm speaking in terms of over the course of the history of humans).

[grinner]

Originally posted by VBKatLou



Presidential is every 4, Congress is every 6. Some states (mine is one of them) have set term limits for their members of congress. In Ohio, a congressman can only serve 3 (6-year) terms and then they aren't allowed to run any more.

All in all, it doesn't sound like our two governments are that different. The Senate is every 6, while the House of Representatives is every 2 years.

[Kurt_eh]

And some video footage:

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/ram-lo/vandusen_ottawa0312121.ram

[Third EYe]

Originally posted by generic_screenname
Can I get a mop over here? My brain just exploded.

It's not your brain, you just dropped the jell-o again.