The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It's beginning to look more and more like Prime Minister Paul Martin will seek to reaffirm his leadership with a federal election in May. If you believe the many published reports that suggest so, that is. Many reports indicate that Martin will likely call the election in April, with the actual vote to take place the following month. One article even pegged an exact date for the election, May 10. According to the latest poll on the matter, more than two-thirds of Canadians Ñ 69 per cent Ñ believe Martin will lead the Liberals to a fourth consecutive victory. Just seven per cent of those surveyed believed Martin wouldn't win. However, the survey was conducted prior to the unification of Canada's right-wing parties. Many observers believe the Conservative Party of Canada gives the Liberals something they've lacked for years Ñ formidable competition. The survey found that Martin's approval rating in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan stood at 39 per cent. Not surprisingly, his support was just 24 per cent in Alberta, a province well known for feeling alienated by the Liberal government. Martin took over the the Liberal leadership reigns Ñ and more importantly, the nation's top job Ñ last month from Jean Chretien.
