We are honoured to recognize Paul Martin as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Our Prime Minister has worked for many years to ensure that Canadians have every opportunity to succeed.

He talks about his pride in Canada in The Politics of Achievement:

"I believe that Canada's greatest years are those in which we have achieved meaningful changes on a national scale. These changes have included: the construction of a transcontinental railroad; mobilization for victory in the Second World War and reconstruction thereafter; the creation of our social safety net and Medicare system; the adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Canadians' fight against the deficit.

The great national achievements of our time will be strengthening the social foundations of Canadian life; building a twenty-first century economy; and ensuring a place of pride and influence in the world. Reaching these goals has great intrinsic value, but is also the best means of meeting the most basic requirement of the federal government: to ensure the meaningful continuation of Canada's nationhood - that is, our internal unity and sovereignty among the family of nations."