Shelley Martel
Encyclopedia
Shelley Dawn Marie Martel (born April 8, 1963) is a Canadian
politician
. A former member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, she represented the riding
of Sudbury East
from 1987 to 1999, and Nickel Belt
from 1999 until 2007, as a New Democrat
.
She is married to Howard Hampton
, a former leader of the Ontario New Democrats.
and French at the Sorbonne
. She then worked as a claims adjudicator with the Ontario Workers' Compensation Board
in Sudbury and Toronto.
Martel and former Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton
were married in 1994, and have two children, Sarah and Jonathan. Sarah was profiled in several media outlets in early 2007, when she was accepted to serve in the Legislative Assembly's page program. Martel herself had also participated in the page program when her father was serving in the Legislature.
In 2003, both Martel and Hampton supported Bill Blaikie
's campaign to become leader of the federal New Democratic Party
.
She now resides in Capreol, Ontario
where she grew up.
, which was eliminated when the Mike Harris
government redrew the boundaries of the provincial ridings in 1996 to match the federal boundaries. The riding had been represented by Martel's father, Elie Martel
, from its creation in 1967 until his retirement in 1987. Martel's mother is the daughter of another area politician, Norman Fawcett
, who served as mayor of Capreol
, and as Nickel Belt's federal MP from 1965 to 1968.
Shelley Martel sought and won the New Democratic Party nomination vacated by her father, and easily won the seat in the 1987 provincial election
. She was re-elected in the 1990 provincial election
, in which the NDP won a majority government.
. On July 31, 1991, her title was changed to Minister of Northern Development and Mines.
Like her father, Martel represented the left-wing
of the NDP and often had a fractious relationship with Rae. During her first year in office, she oversaw a government bailout plan for industry in the northern community of Kapuskasing; Rae rejected the plan, but incorporated its basic framework into a later deal which he negotiated himself. Like Howard Hampton
and Peter Kormos
, Martel also opposed Rae's decision to retreat from an election pledge to introduce public automobile insurance in the province.
Martel's time in cabinet proved unexpectedly controversial, and was nearly ended by two separate controversies in 1991. The first occurred June of that year, when Martel wrote a letter to a quasi-judicial body
concerning the billing practices of a doctor in northern Ontario. This was regarded by some as undue political influence, and Rae considered dismissing Martel before being advised by Liberal
leader Robert Nixon
that the offence was too minor to warrant punishment.
municipal councillor and former Progressive Conservative
candidate. Martel ended the conversation by claiming that her government was considering legal action against Sudbury doctor Jean-Pierre Donahue, on the grounds that his billing practices were excessive and illegal. In Dodds's account, Martel also claimed to have seen a confidential government file on Donahue. Dodds took her story to the media the next day, accusing Martel of slandering a medical professional and having illegal access to privileged information.
Martel, in response, claimed she had actually misled Dodds in their private conversation: her comments about Donahue were unfounded, and were invented on the spot in a moment of anger. She also denied having seen the confidential file. She nonetheless offered her resignation to Rae, who rejected it.
Martel later took a lie detector
to prove that she had made up her accusation against Donahue, and did not have prior knowledge of a secret file. A parliamentary commission in early 1992 verified her version of the story.
The incident may have been minor, but the resulting controversy did considerable damage to both Martel's reputation and that of the provincial NDP. Many voters remembered nothing of the controversy except that Martel admitted to being caught in a lie, took a lie detector test to prove she lied, and was kept in cabinet regardless. Some have argued that public confidence in the Rae government was irreparably damaged by this controversy.
Martel's continued presence in cabinet after 1992 was an ongoing source of controversy for the government, and her influence was limited. She finally resigned from her portfolio on October 7, 1994, towards the end of Rae's mandate. Martel's resignation occurred after the Ontario Privacy Commissioner found that she had passed on privileged and damaging information about Ottawa
consultant Charles Ficner to Liberal MPP Frank Miclash
. Some questioned the Privacy Commissioner's decision, noting that almost all of the information in question was already available in the public domain.
, electing her over Liberal Paul Menard by a reduced margin. She was one of only seventeen NDP MPPs to be re-elected in this campaign.
, she was re-elected again in the redistributed Nickel Belt constituency. Nickel Belt's previous MPP Blain Morin
, who had won the riding just eight months earlier in a by-election following the retirement of Floyd Laughren
, declined to challenge Martel for the party's nomination.
In the 2003 election
, she defeated Liberal Alex McCauley by fewer than 3,000 votes to win her fifth and final term in the legislature.
, to spend more time with her family and pursue other career opportunities.
During the election campaign, Progressive Conservative leader John Tory
stated that if elected, he would name Martel to conduct a review of current government medical and social services for children with autism
, an issue which Martel had frequently championed in the legislature. In response to the statement, Hampton said "I wish Mr. Tory good luck, but my wife is rather fussy about who she hangs around with. Believe me, I know. It took me about six years."
Martel committed, however, to campaign on behalf of France Gélinas
, her successor as the New Democratic Party candidate in Nickel Belt. On election day, Gélinas successfully held the riding, defeating Liberal candidate Ron Dupuis.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. A former member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
, she represented the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Sudbury East
Sudbury East
Sudbury East was a provincial electoral riding in the Canadian province of Ontario, that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1999. It served the easternmost portion of the former city of Sudbury, the eastern portion of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury, and...
from 1987 to 1999, and Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt (provincial electoral district)
Nickel Belt is a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Ontario. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The district is located in Northern Ontario and includes much of the eastern and southern parts of the District of Sudbury, as well as most of Greater...
from 1999 until 2007, as a New Democrat
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
.
She is married to Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
, a former leader of the Ontario New Democrats.
Background
Before entering political life, Martel studied International Politics at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and French at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. She then worked as a claims adjudicator with the Ontario Workers' Compensation Board
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
The Workplace Safety & Insurance Board was established in 1914. It is a workers' compensation insurer for Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are located in Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
in Sudbury and Toronto.
Martel and former Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
were married in 1994, and have two children, Sarah and Jonathan. Sarah was profiled in several media outlets in early 2007, when she was accepted to serve in the Legislative Assembly's page program. Martel herself had also participated in the page program when her father was serving in the Legislature.
In 2003, both Martel and Hampton supported Bill Blaikie
Bill Blaikie
William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
's campaign to become leader of the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
She now resides in Capreol, Ontario
Capreol, Ontario
Capreol is a community in the Ontario city of Greater Sudbury. From 1918 to 2000, Capreol existed as an independent town, situated on the Vermilion River....
where she grew up.
Politics
Martel first represented the riding of Sudbury EastSudbury East
Sudbury East was a provincial electoral riding in the Canadian province of Ontario, that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1999. It served the easternmost portion of the former city of Sudbury, the eastern portion of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury, and...
, which was eliminated when the Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
government redrew the boundaries of the provincial ridings in 1996 to match the federal boundaries. The riding had been represented by Martel's father, Elie Martel
Elie Martel
Elie Walter Martel is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1987, as a member of the New Democratic Party .-Personal life:...
, from its creation in 1967 until his retirement in 1987. Martel's mother is the daughter of another area politician, Norman Fawcett
Norman Fawcett
Norman Edward Fawcett was a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1965 to 1968...
, who served as mayor of Capreol
Capreol, Ontario
Capreol is a community in the Ontario city of Greater Sudbury. From 1918 to 2000, Capreol existed as an independent town, situated on the Vermilion River....
, and as Nickel Belt's federal MP from 1965 to 1968.
Shelley Martel sought and won the New Democratic Party nomination vacated by her father, and easily won the seat in the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
. She was re-elected in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, in which the NDP won a majority government.
In cabinet
On October 1, 1990, Martel was named Minister of Northern Development and Government House Leader in the cabinet of Bob RaeBob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. On July 31, 1991, her title was changed to Minister of Northern Development and Mines.
Like her father, Martel represented the left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
of the NDP and often had a fractious relationship with Rae. During her first year in office, she oversaw a government bailout plan for industry in the northern community of Kapuskasing; Rae rejected the plan, but incorporated its basic framework into a later deal which he negotiated himself. Like Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
and Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos is a politician in Ontario, Canada. A former lawyer, he was first elected as an Ontario New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the Welland constituency in a 1988 provincial by-election. He replaced veteran NDP legislator Mel...
, Martel also opposed Rae's decision to retreat from an election pledge to introduce public automobile insurance in the province.
Martel's time in cabinet proved unexpectedly controversial, and was nearly ended by two separate controversies in 1991. The first occurred June of that year, when Martel wrote a letter to a quasi-judicial body
Quasi-judicial body
A quasi-judicial body is an individual or organization which has powers resembling those of a court of law or judge and is able to remedy a situation or impose legal penalties on a person or organization.-Powers:...
concerning the billing practices of a doctor in northern Ontario. This was regarded by some as undue political influence, and Rae considered dismissing Martel before being advised by Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
leader Robert Nixon
Robert Nixon
Robert Fletcher Nixon is a retired politician in the province of Ontario, Canada. The son of former Premier of Ontario Harry Nixon, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in a 1962 by-election following his father's death...
that the offence was too minor to warrant punishment.
Dodds controversy
The second incident was more serious, at least in its ramifications. On December 5, 1991, following an official government function, Martel became involved in a heated discussion about Northern Ontario health care costs with Evelyn Dodds, a Thunder BayThunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
municipal councillor and former Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
candidate. Martel ended the conversation by claiming that her government was considering legal action against Sudbury doctor Jean-Pierre Donahue, on the grounds that his billing practices were excessive and illegal. In Dodds's account, Martel also claimed to have seen a confidential government file on Donahue. Dodds took her story to the media the next day, accusing Martel of slandering a medical professional and having illegal access to privileged information.
Martel, in response, claimed she had actually misled Dodds in their private conversation: her comments about Donahue were unfounded, and were invented on the spot in a moment of anger. She also denied having seen the confidential file. She nonetheless offered her resignation to Rae, who rejected it.
Martel later took a lie detector
Lie Detector
"Lie Detector" is a CD single by The Reverend Horton Heat. It was released in October 1998 on Sub Pop.-Personnel:*Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath - lead vocals, guitar*Jimbo Wallace - upright bass, vocals*Scott Churilla - drums, vocals...
to prove that she had made up her accusation against Donahue, and did not have prior knowledge of a secret file. A parliamentary commission in early 1992 verified her version of the story.
The incident may have been minor, but the resulting controversy did considerable damage to both Martel's reputation and that of the provincial NDP. Many voters remembered nothing of the controversy except that Martel admitted to being caught in a lie, took a lie detector test to prove she lied, and was kept in cabinet regardless. Some have argued that public confidence in the Rae government was irreparably damaged by this controversy.
Martel's continued presence in cabinet after 1992 was an ongoing source of controversy for the government, and her influence was limited. She finally resigned from her portfolio on October 7, 1994, towards the end of Rae's mandate. Martel's resignation occurred after the Ontario Privacy Commissioner found that she had passed on privileged and damaging information about Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
consultant Charles Ficner to Liberal MPP Frank Miclash
Frank Miclash
Frank Ranover Miclash is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1999....
. Some questioned the Privacy Commissioner's decision, noting that almost all of the information in question was already available in the public domain.
1995 election
These controversies did not dim Martel's personal electoral prospects, as the voters in Sudbury East returned her to Queen's Park in the 1995 provincial electionOntario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, electing her over Liberal Paul Menard by a reduced margin. She was one of only seventeen NDP MPPs to be re-elected in this campaign.
Nickel Belt
When the riding of Sudbury East was eliminated for the 1999 electionOntario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, she was re-elected again in the redistributed Nickel Belt constituency. Nickel Belt's previous MPP Blain Morin
Blain Morin
Blain Kevin Morin is a Canadian politician and labour union organizer, who represented the Sudbury, Ontario riding of Nickel Belt from 1998 to 1999 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He was a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party....
, who had won the riding just eight months earlier in a by-election following the retirement of Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1998 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and served as Finance Minister and Deputy Premier in the government of Bob Rae.-Background:Laughren's childhood was far...
, declined to challenge Martel for the party's nomination.
In the 2003 election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, she defeated Liberal Alex McCauley by fewer than 3,000 votes to win her fifth and final term in the legislature.
Retirement
On May 18, 2007, Martel announced that she would not seek re-election and would quit politics after the 2007 electionOntario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, to spend more time with her family and pursue other career opportunities.
During the election campaign, Progressive Conservative leader John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
stated that if elected, he would name Martel to conduct a review of current government medical and social services for children with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, an issue which Martel had frequently championed in the legislature. In response to the statement, Hampton said "I wish Mr. Tory good luck, but my wife is rather fussy about who she hangs around with. Believe me, I know. It took me about six years."
Martel committed, however, to campaign on behalf of France Gélinas
France Gélinas
France Gélinas is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Nickel Belt in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2007 Ontario election. She is a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party....
, her successor as the New Democratic Party candidate in Nickel Belt. On election day, Gélinas successfully held the riding, defeating Liberal candidate Ron Dupuis.