View source for Martin Cauchon

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| honorific-suffix = [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada|PC]]
| name=Martin Cauchon
| image = Martin Cauchon.PNG
| term_start=25 October 1993
| term_end=28 June 2004
| predecessor= [[Jean-Pierre Hogue]]
| birth_date= {{birth date and age |df=yes| 1962|08|23}}
| birth_place= [[La Malbaie, Quebec|La Malbaie]], [[Quebec]], Canada
| successor= [[Jean Lapierre]]
| death_date=
| death_place=
| profession=Lawyer
| party=[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
| residence=
| parliament=Canadian
| riding=[[Outremont (electoral district)|Outremont]]
| footnotes=
| office2          = [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice]]<br />[[Attorney General of Canada]]
| primeminister2   = [[Jean Chrétien]]
| term_start2      = 15 January 2002
| term_end2        = 11 December 2003
| predecessor2     = [[Anne McLellan]]
| successor2       = [[Irwin Cotler]]
| spouse= 
}}
'''Martin Cauchon'''  {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (born 23 August 1962) is a Canadian lawyer and politician in [[Quebec]] Canada. He served as a [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet minister]] in the government of [[Jean Chrétien]]. He unsuccessfully ran for the [[2013 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|leadership]] of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2013, losing to [[Justin Trudeau]].

Cauchon worked as a lawyer from 1985 to 1993, and from 2004 to present. Today, he is counsel at the Montreal office of DS Lawyers Canada LLP, an international law firm. He is also a Vice-Chairman of the [[Canada China Business Council]].

==Early life and career==

Cauchon was born in [[La Malbaie, Quebec|La Malbaie]], [[Quebec]] and studied law at the [[University of Ottawa]] and the [[University of Exeter]] in the United Kingdom. He practised law in civil and commercial litigation from 1985 to 1993. Cauchon was counsel with Gowlings and with the now-defunct law firm of [[Heenan Blaikie]].{{cn|date=January 2024}}

He is married to Dorine Perron and, together, they have three children.{{cn|date=January 2024}}

==Politics==
Cauchon first ran for public office in the [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988 federal election]] when he challenged [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Brian Mulroney]] in the [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Charlevoix (federal electoral district)|Charlevoix]], however he was unsuccessful in this bid. In the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993 federal election]], Cauchon once again sought a seat in the [[House of Commons of Canada]]. In this election, he was elected in the [[Montreal]] riding of [[Outremont (electoral district)|Outremont]]. He was re-elected in the [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997]] and [[2000 Canadian federal election|2000 elections]].

Cauchon was appointed [[Secretary of State (Canada)|Secretary of State]] for the [[Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec|Federal Office of Regional Development - Quebec]] by Prime Minister [[Jean Chrétien]] in 1996. He became a full cabinet minister in 1999 when he was given the position of [[Minister of National Revenue (Canada)|Minister of National Revenue]]. On 15 January 2002, he became [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]], and [[Quebec lieutenant]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Liberal government gets major facelift|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/liberal-government-gets-major-facelift-1.331483|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=15 January 2002}}</ref> As justice minister, Cauchon argued in cabinet in favour of [[same-sex marriage in Canada|same-sex marriage]] and the decriminalization of [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] (indeed, when asked whether he had used marijuana in the past, he responded "Yes, of course").<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/123561_joel26.html|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=2003-05-23|access-date=2009-09-27|title=In the Northwest: Tom DeLay could use a different form of puffery|last=Connelly|first=Joel}}</ref> As a minister, Cauchon leave its marks on many files. As Secretary of State for regional development, he solidified the community future organisation in the province of Quebec. During his tenue as minister of national revenue, he introduced the customs action plan opening the door for the use of more technologies in managing the Canada-US border. As Minister of Justice, he fought for equality right and tabled the bill on same-sex marriage. He also introduced a bill decriminalizing marijuana. Even though that latter bill wasn't pass into law, it was the precursor of the legalization of marijuana.

[[File:Martin Cauchon.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Cauchon during 2010.]] In 2009, Cauchon indicated he was interested in re-entering politics and running in his former riding of Outremont, which was then held by [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]] (NDP) Deputy Leader [[Thomas Mulcair]]. The Liberal Party's Quebec Lieutenant [[Denis Coderre]], who was tasked with finding Quebec candidates for the next election, announced that the riding was closed off to Cauchon and was being reserved for a female candidate. Liberal leader [[Michael Ignatieff]] originally sided with Coderre in opposing Cauchon return, and instead planned to appoint prominent businesswoman Nathalie le Prohon as the candidate in the riding.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ignatieff rejects Cauchon's bid to re-enter politics|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ignatieff-rejects-cauchon-s-bid-to-re-enter-politics-1.788187|access-date=18 January 2012|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=21 September 2009}}</ref> However, after facing pressure from within his caucus Ignatieff reversed his earlier decision and decide to allow Cauchon to seek the nomination, after Le Prohon indicated she would seek the Liberal nomination in [[Jeanne-Le Ber]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Key Liberals back Cauchon in riding fight|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/key-liberals-back-cauchon-in-riding-fight-1.788186|access-date=18 January 2012|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=24 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Cauchon gets OK to seek Outremont nomination|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cauchon-gets-ok-to-seek-outremont-nomination-1.776065|access-date=18 January 2012|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=25 September 2009}}</ref> The controversy over the nomination led to Coderre's resignation as the Liberal's Quebec Lieutenant and Defence Critic, saying he no longer had the "[[moral authority]]" to continue.<ref>{{cite news|last=Delacourt|first=Susan|title=Denis Coderre quits Quebec post in Liberal feud|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/702420|access-date=18 January 2012|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=29 September 2009}}</ref>

In the [[2011 Canadian federal election|federal election]] held on 2 May 2011, Cauchon was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Mulcair. The NDP's support in Quebec, and throughout most of Canada, had surged in the final weeks of the campaign, at the expense of the Liberals and [[Bloc Québécois]]. The NDP won 59 seats in Quebec and replaced the Liberals as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons. Ignatieff had also failed in his bid to win re-election and resigned as party leader days later.

===Leadership===
[[File:Cauchon2 2013-02-16.JPG|thumb|right|Cauchon during a Liberal Party candidates debate on 16 February 2013]]
Cauchon was a Chrétien loyalist and opposed [[Paul Martin]]'s attempt to force Chrétien to retire. When Chrétien announced his resignation, Cauchon was touted as a possible candidate to succeed him but did not end up running in the [[2003 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|2003 leadership election]]. Cauchon refused to back Martin's leadership bid, and decided to support [[John Manley]]. Martin was elected leader and did not include Cauchon in his cabinet. Following this he announced he would not seek re-election in the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 federal election]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lawton |first=Valerie |date=February 4, 2004 |title=Two demoted Liberals leave politics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-two-demoted-liberals-le/139106727/ |work=[[Toronto Star]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario |page=A7 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Elizabeth|title=Cauchon poised to enter Liberal leadership race|url=http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/12/20/cauchon-poised-to-enter-liberal-leadership-race/|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=iPolitics|date=20 December 2012}}</ref>

Cauchon was considered a potential candidate in both the [[2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|2006]] and [[2009 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|2009 Liberal leadership elections]], however in both cases he announced he would not run. In 2006, he endorsed former [[Ontario]] [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Bob Rae]] who placed third.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ivison|first=John|title=Whole new ball game for Liberal leadership|url=http://www2.canada.com/shareit/soundoff/story.html?id=a8f1e875-bf1b-4c80-802e-9a49d24f092f|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=Canada.com|date=31 January 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125194440/http://www2.canada.com/shareit/soundoff/story.html?id=a8f1e875-bf1b-4c80-802e-9a49d24f092f|archive-date=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bryden|first=Joan|title=Cauchon takes a pass at Liberal leadership|url=https://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/539349|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=18 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Cauchon won't run for Liberal leadership|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cauchon-won-t-run-for-liberal-leadership-1.732096|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=19 November 2008}}</ref>

At the Liberal Party's 2012 biennial convention, Cauchon hosted a hospitality suite leading to speculation that he was interested in running for leader in the [[2013 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|2013 leadership election]].<ref>{{cite news|title='We embrace change': Rae|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/embrace+change/6001118/story.html|access-date=18 January 2012|newspaper=Montreal Gazette|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bryden|first=Joan|title=McGuintys supply grist for Grits|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/52185-mcguintys-supply-grist-grits|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=Chronicle Herald|date=15 January 2012}}</ref> In December 2012, it was reported that Cauchon was planning a lately entry into the race after some Liberals feared the top tier of contenders were supporting [[right-wing]] policies.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bryden|first=Joan|title=Progressive Liberals alarmed as federal leadership contenders tilt right|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/progressive-liberals-alarmed-as-federal-leadership-contenders-tilt-right/article6528575/|access-date=25 May 2015|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=18 December 2012}}</ref> On the last weekend before the registration cutoff on 14 January 2013, Cauchon was trying to gather the 300 signatures needed to enter the leadership race.<ref>{{cite news|last=Naumetz|first=Tim|title=Cauchon set to enter Liberal leadership race, Bertschi registers too|url=http://www.hilltimes.com/news/politics/2013/01/11/cauchon-set-to-enter-liberal-leadership-race-bertschi-registers-too/33315|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=The Hill Times|date=11 January 2013}}</ref> Fellow leadership contender [[David Bertschi]] sent out an email to Liberals asking for their help to get enough signatures so that Cauchon could enter the contest.<ref>{{cite news|title=New spirit of Liberal co-operation|url=http://thestar.blogs.com/politics/2013/01/new-spirit-of-liberal-co-operation.html|access-date=13 January 2013|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=12 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119153324/http://thestar.blogs.com/politics/2013/01/new-spirit-of-liberal-co-operation.html|archive-date=19 January 2013}}</ref> On 14 April 2013, he lost the leadership election to Montreal MP [[Justin Trudeau]].

==Legal-post political career==
Following his exit from politics, Cauchon returned to practicing law. From 2004 to 2012, he practised commercial law at Gowling Lafleur Henderson. In February 2012, Cauchon joined the firm of [[Heenan Blaikie]] in Montreal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Team - Martin Cauchon|url=http://www.heenanblaikie.com/en/Our_Team/Cauchon,-Martin/|publisher=Heenan Blaikie|access-date=13 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617170102/http://www.heenanblaikie.com/en/Our_Team/Cauchon,-Martin|archive-date=17 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Martin Cauchon joins Jean Chrétien at law firm Heenan Blaikie': Rae|url=http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/02/08/martin-cauchon-joins-jean-chretien-at-law-firm-heenan-blaikie/|access-date=8 February 2012|newspaper=Montreal Gazette|date=February 2012}}</ref> He is now counsel at the Montreal office of DS Lawyers Canada LLP.{{fact|date=March 2023}}

He is also member of numerous boards.{{fact|date=March 2023}} He is a Vice-Chairman of the [[Canada China Business Council]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ccbc.com/about/board-of-directors/ |url-status=live |title=CCBC Board of Directors |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= |publisher=[[Canada China Business Council]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407094910/http://ccbc.com/about/board-of-directors/ |archive-date=April 7, 2023 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |quote=}}</ref>

Between March 2015 and August 2019, he also bought from the Desmarais family the newspaper chain that he baptized Groupe Capitales Médias (Le Nouvelliste, Le Quotidien, [[Le Soleil]], La Tribune, La Voix de l'est and Ontario-based [[Le Droit]]) and he asked Claude Gagnon to manage it for him. Faced with lower subscription rate, declining advertising rates, and delays in federal government aid, it ended in bankruptcy protection and relaunched as a co-op in December 2019.{{fact|date=March 2023}}

==Electoral record==
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2011|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|[[Thomas Mulcair]]|21,906|56.37|+16.84| }}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|'''Martin Cauchon'''|9,204|23.69|-9.39| }}
{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Rodolphe Husny |3,408|8.77|-1.76| }}
{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Élise Daoust |3,199|8.23|-4.32| }}
{{CANelec|CA|Green|François Pilon |838|2.16|-2.15| }}
{{CANelec|CA|Rhinoceros|Tommy Gaudet|160|0.41|&ndash;| }}
{{CANelec|CA|Communist|Johan Boyden |143|0.37|&ndash;| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|38,858|100.00| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|291|0.74 |+0.05 }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|39,149|60.46|+4.35}}
{{end}}

{{2000 Canadian federal election/Outremont}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1997|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|'''Martin Cauchon'''|22,271|50.15| +3.34}}
{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Michel Sarra-Bournet |12,608|28.39| -8.98}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|Marguerite Sicard|5,424|12.21| +3.30}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|[[Tooker Gomberg]]|2,862|6.44| +1.89}}
{{CANelec|CA|Natural Law|Denis Cauchon|868|1.95| +0.45}}
{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Louise Charron|378|0.85| +0.46}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total|44,411|100.00}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1993|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|'''Martin Cauchon'''|21,638|46.81| +12.10}}
{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Jean-Louis Hérivault|17,274|37.37| - }}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|Jean Pierre Hogue|4,119|8.91| -29.52}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Catherine Kallos|2,104|4.55| -15.93}}
{{CANelec|CA|Natural Law|Daniel Bergeron|694|1.50| - }}
{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Michel Rocheleau|179|0.39| - }}
{{CANelec|CA|Abolitionist|Sylvain M. Coulombe|131|0.28| - }}
{{CANelec|CA|Commonwealth of Canada|Mamunor Rashid|89|0.19| -0.07}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total|46,228|100.00}}
{{end}}

'''[[Charlevoix (federal electoral district)|Charlevoix]]'''
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1988}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|[[Brian Mulroney]]|33,730}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Martin Cauchon|5,994}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Kenneth Choquette|1,819}}
{{CANelec|CA|Rhinoceros (historical)|[[François Yo Gourd]]|600}}
{{end}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=3072}}
* [https://martincauchon.ca/ Martin Cauchon's Official Website]

{{s-start}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=26}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post2         = [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice]]
| post2years    = 2002&ndash;2003
| post2note     =
| post2preceded = [[Anne McLellan]]
| post2followed = [[Irwin Cotler]]

| post1         = [[Minister of National Revenue (Canada)|Minister of National Revenue]]
| post1years    = 1999&ndash;2002
| post1note     =
| post1preceded = [[Herb Dhaliwal]]
| post1followed = [[Elinor Caplan]]
}}
{{ministry box sub-cabinet posts
| post1         = Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)
| post1years    = 1996&ndash;2002
| post1note     = (NB: "Secretary of State (Federal Office of Regional Development - Quebec)" before 1998)
| post1preceded = [[Paul Martin]]
| post1followed = [[Claude Drouin]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Chrétien Ministry}}
{{CA-Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General}}
{{CA-Ministers of National Revenue}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cauchon, Martin}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Lawyers in Quebec]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Members of the 26th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:University of Ottawa alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Exeter]]
[[Category:University of Ottawa Faculty of Law alumni]]
[[Category:People associated with Gowling WLG]]