[Canada] Martin becomes Prime Minister

[Fotix]

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 Chr?tien.

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.

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 Chr?tien 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 Chr?tien's cabinet stay, some of them retaining their former roles, including Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham and Environment Minister David Anderson.

...snipped...

Read the full story @ CBC News

As long as he can think for himself and isn't joined-at-the-hip to Bush, he can't be all that bad. Thoughts?

[Prelude76]

my personal thought: i dont agree that Martin should be prime minister just because Chretien retires. if PM retires, there should be immediate election called. he gets to act all high and mighty when the people didnt elect him into power (yet).

otherwise, not too impressed with Martin. his greatest job was as Minister of Finance and how he stopped Canada's deficit, but he did so (IMO) by passing the buck down to the provinces, who passed the buck down to municipalities, who passed the buck down to me and increased my property taxes and user fees. :no:

[Spyder Veteran]

Thoughts? Here's mine. I was sick and tired of Cretien and I'm so glad that he's gone, I don't mind who replaces him. Hell, it could be bozo the clown! :D

[Prelude76]

Thoughts? Here's mine.  I was sick and tired of Cretien and I'm so glad that he's gone, I don't mind who replaces him. Hell, it could be bozo the clown! :D

you got your wish with Martin.

no, wait. Bozo is in charge of Ontario. :laugh: or is it Mr. Thumbs?

[Joel]

I really can't think of anything that Chretien did to make me dislike him.

I would agree that an election should be called if not for one thing; we elected the party, not the man. The elected party is still in power, so, unfortunately, Martin gets the hot seat now. Remember Kim Campbell? :x

[Prelude76]

Kim Campbell? :x

*shudder*

ok ok, you win. Martin and Chretien are heaven-sent compared to Mulroney and Campbell. :happy:

[Spyder Veteran]

i was just sick and tired of him. its too bad we don't have something similar as the US, where they can only serve 2 consecutive terms in office...

how long was chretien in office? sure felt like forever

[Joel]

Jean Chr?tien handed his resignation to Clarkson earlier Friday, closing a 40-year career in federal politics, anda decade as prime minister.>

[Spyder Veteran]

I read it but apparently i didn't retain it lol thx silly

[Prelude76]

how long was chretien in office? sure felt like forever

3 terms of 4 years.

he wanted to go for 4 terms, but Martin started crying.

Chretien kept getting elected because the right was split. its great news that its no longer split, but it might be too late for february elections. :huh:

[mikey1001]

Chretien kept getting elected because the right was split. its great news that its no longer split, but it might be too late for february elections. :huh:

Well, the right wing was split but not in the way that you see it. The reason we have the Liberals in power for over a decade is because of the damage done under Brian Mulroney. He went waaayyyy too far to the right and people got sh*t scared of having another extremist in power again. Mulroney single handedly took the country's first political party that formed government and turned it into a Facist party that cared only about how much it could give to corporations (sound familiar Mr. Bush?).

People in this country would vote for the old Progressive Conservative party if they could be assured that it was the party of old and not a party of radicals. Which brings me to the "new" Conservative party of Canada. Some drastic changes will have to take place within that new party if the EVER hope to form a government. They are ultra-conservative and have made many blunders publicly by openly stating their views on how they would run Canada...remember the comment of closing down immigration because there's too many Asians in the West? Or just recently, about how we should move quickly to criminalize gays. Not just gay marriage, don't even go there, just gay people all together.

The "right" is still in trouble here for those reasons mentioned. Mulroney did a generations worth of damage and the extremists seal their fate. Add to that, we have a social system in place that countries from all over the world envy and spend time and money studying, all that with balancing our budgets each and every year. Why change to bigots when we have prosperity?

[Ji@nBing]

It will be nice to have a new PM, i think Chretien did a good job but now it's time for someone new. As long as Martin doesn't make Canada a US biatch, I have no problem with him. I just hope he has the b@lls to stand up to the US like Chretien did. I've never felt so proud to be canadian as when he announced Canada will have no part in the iraq war

[BMac]

I think the best thing Martin can do for Canada is to strengthen our ties with the US. Not to become the b*tch but to fix everything that Chretien f*cked up. We need America as much as they need us. Don't give in to them but when you're surronded by lemons make lemonade.

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

I am psyched about martin beiing here. I just hope he runs the country differently than chretien, he was a joke.

[Prelude76]

remember the comment of closing down immigration because there's too many Asians in the West? Or just recently, about how we should move quickly to criminalize gays. Not just gay marriage, don't even go there, just gay people all together.

you're implying that its their policy, when in fact, its radical views from one individual that they end up canning afterwards.

i dont know about the asian immigration, but the push to criminilize gays was said by one radical saskatchewan MP, who's also a pastor (and we all know how anti-gay some churches are). thats why we should not mix religion with politics (listening, Bush?) because you get some whacko who takes it word for word that in the bible it says 'thou shalt not touch a penis if you have one yourself', or something of that nature. ;)

[Prelude76]

I just hope he runs the country differently than chretien, he was a joke.

a joke? 3 terms, and you think its a joke? you may not agree with him, but show him respect for his accomplishments. like how he slugged that guy right in front of reporters. or how he told Bush to F off about Iraq. he was speaking for the majority of canadians when he said NO to iraq, and that is true democracy.

[mikey1001]

a joke?  3 terms, and you think its a joke?  you may not agree with him, but show him respect for his accomplishments.  like how he slugged that guy right in front of reporters.  or how he told Bush to F off about Iraq.  he was speaking for the majority of canadians when he said NO to iraq, and that is true democracy.

I agree with you on that one. No one politician is going to ever have a perfect legacy, but there are varying degrees of good and bad, and overall Chretien was good for the country. I remember when he started choking that protester, I liked that. The guy got up in his face, so he defended himself properly. Leaves some big questions about the Prime Minister's security team, but he did the right thing.

Under Chretien we've had a good economy over all, with balanced tax cuts for both the regular wage earners and corporations, not just one sided like the Bush Doctrine. Plus, the country's finances are in order and we're paying down a bit of the national DEBT every year, not a defecit, but our entire debt! Which goes to prove that you can have a sound social infrastructure, a good environement for businesses and still balance your books every year. As long as we keep things like drug costs and electricty regulated and healthcare government operated, things won't spiral out of control like down south, where profit is the only important factor in these matters, thereby driving up costs annually based solely on greed. That's my lesson on Liberalism 101 ;)

[dacris2000]

In my opinion, Chretien was one of the best prime ministers Canada has ever had. We'll have to see about Paul Martin.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

In my opinion, Chretien was one of the best prime ministers Canada has ever had. We'll have to see about Paul Martin.

Chretien and Paul Martin were great together when they worked as a team (Chretien as PM/Martin as Finance Minister). The last few years have been a long extended goodbye and I'm really looking forward to Martin showing his stuff.

[Razorwing]

I am psyched about martin beiing here. I just hope he runs the country differently than chretien, he was a joke.

well he did run Canada for a extended period of time.. :whistle:

[Neztea]

Well now... Thats some interesting news to hear.. But yeah, I hope there is somewhat of a change in the ways how things are runned.. But we can't choose who will be prime minister.. and i'm dissapointed in that we only elect the party that will run the country, and not the actual person.

[isomer]

Chr?tien was a joke and a stooge; the man had no integrity... happy to see him ride into the sunset. I wonder? Did he get that UN job?

[darksoul]

what are Martin's views on the gay marrage and the marijuana decriminalization? Isn't that up for vote in the near future?

[mikey1001]

Chr?tien was a joke and a stooge; the man had no integrity... happy to see him ride into the sunset. I wonder? Did he get that UN job?

No integrity? What are you, twelve or something? If you're just some kid with no education then I can understand a statement like that and only hope that as you go through school you'll learn a few things.

Just to give you a bit of a head start on the lack of integrity, the man fought very hard to keep this country together. There was a strong seperatist movement in Quebec that at the onset of the referendum had the support of the majority of it's voters and could have thrown this country into a real crisis. Chretien and his Federalist team worked night and day to convince enough Quebers, barely enough, but enough to vote against it.

He, along with our now current Prime Minister saw to it that we not only balance the budget each and every year but legislate a fixed percentage to go directly to paying off our national debt. That "lack of integrity" ensures that our children, or at least their children aren't saddled with a crippling debt like our friends to the south of us.

He was also a supporter of the Kyoto accord and did his part to convince other countries to ratify that deal. Again, this was something done for the betterment of all, instead of simply rewarding some special interests with massive tax breaks or huge "no bid" contracts.

The guy was far from perfect, so am I, so are you and so is everyone...period. To say that he lacked integrity and that he was a joke and a stooge, but not to follow it up with your reasons for spewing out that garbage is easy. Why don't you tell us how things would be so different if you were making the calls as the country's leader, with integrity of course?

[Fred Derf Veteran]

what are Martin's views on the gay marrage and the marijuana decriminalization? Isn't that up for vote in the near future?

Martin is less in favour of gay marriage then Chr?tien was. He is mulling a wording change to the question that would delay the decision until after the 2004 election.

Martin is also less in favour of pot decriminalization that Chr?tien was. Martin has previously said he favours decriminalization in principle (and in "very, very, very small amounts"), but also indicated he is sensitive to opposing views from some Liberal backbenchers. He will likely edit the decriminalization bill to make it tougher.