Pat Martin

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Patrick Martin
Riding Winnipeg Centre
Political party: New Democratic Party (1997-)
First elected: 1997 election
Profession(s): Carpenter, Unionist

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 popular Liberal maverick Kevin Lamoureux by 11,263 votes to 9,310. He increased his margin of victory in the 2004 election, defeating star Liberal candidate David Northcott by about 3,000 votes.

Martin is a clear, articulate speaker in the House of Commons, and is known as a solid constituency worker. He 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. Martin champions several issues including banning artificial trans-fats, cracking down on illegal rates of pay-day lending operations, and asbestos-laden vermiculite insulation.

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.

In 2004, Martin accused Judy Sgro's top aides of making threats to deny ministerial permits to his constituents if he criticized the Immigration Minister on the "Strippergate" controversy[1].

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. [1]

Preceded by:
David Walker
Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre
1997present
Succeeded by:
incumbent


Manitoba Caucus serving in the 39th Canadian Parliament.
Senators Sharon Carstairs (Lib), Maria Chaput (Lib), Janis Gudrun Johnson (Con), Mira Spivak (Ind), Terrance Richard Stratton (Con), Rod Zimmer (Lib)
Members of Parliament Rod Bruinooge (Con), James Bezan (Con), Bill Blaikie (NDP), Tina Keeper (Lib), Steven Fletcher (Con), Inky Mark (Con), Pat Martin (NDP), Anita Neville (Lib), Brian Pallister (Con), Raymond Simard (Lib), Joy Smith (Con), Vic Toews (Con), Merv Tweed (Con), Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP)

[edit] Electoral record

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
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