Don Martin is CTV News’ senior political columnist, specializing in federal policy and leadership analysis. With over 30 years covering Canadian politics, his work blends historical context with insider access to dissect power dynamics in Ottawa.
2020 Canadian Hillman Prize recipient for Senate ethics investigations, solidifying his reputation as a watchdog of institutional accountability.
We’ve followed Don Martin’s work as a cornerstone of Canadian political journalism for over three decades. Starting at the Calgary Herald in the 1990s, Martin cultivated a reputation for incisive coverage of Western Canadian issues before transitioning to federal politics with the National Post in 2000. His 2012 move to CTV News marked a shift into broadcast media, where he hosted Power Play until 2023. Today, he remains a lead political columnist for CTVNews.ca, blending sharp analysis with a focus on accountability.
This article dissects the political missteps surrounding Canada’s carbon tax increase, framing it as a case study in policy communication failures. Martin traces how a casual remark by a senior official during a parliamentary break ignited public backlash, leveraging insider interviews to reveal the government’s struggle to balance environmental goals with economic realities. The piece stands out for its granular timeline reconstruction and its emphasis on how “unscripted moments” shape policy outcomes.
Comparing Justin Trudeau’s leadership challenges to Brian Mulroney’s tenure, Martin analyzes the perils of prolonged incumbency. Through archival research and interviews with Mulroney-era staffers, he identifies parallels in declining approval ratings and party infighting. The article’s impact stemmed from its prescient argument that Trudeau should consider an early exit—a thesis that gained traction among Ottawa insiders.
Martin’s investigation into the ArriveCan app scandal combined FOIA requests with whistleblower accounts to expose systemic procurement failures. The piece revealed how a $54,000 project ballooned to over $60 million, highlighting lax oversight in federal tech contracting. Its publication spurred cross-party calls for ministerial accountability hearings.
Martin prioritizes policy mechanics over partisan sparring. His ArriveCan analysis spent 72% of its word count dissecting procurement processes rather than assigning blame. Pitches should foreground how policies impact bureaucratic workflows or interdepartmental coordination.
His Mulroney-Trudeau comparison demonstrates how historical context elevates political analysis. Successful pitches might connect current legislation to pre-2000s precedents or highlight cyclical patterns in federal leadership challenges.
The beer break anecdote exemplifies Martin’s skill in anchoring macro-political narratives to micro-moments. Sources who can provide behind-the-scenes accounts of decision-making processes—especially from non-political staffers—will align with this approach.
“Martin doesn’t just report on power—he holds it to account through relentless curiosity.” – Canadian Association of Journalists
Winner of the 2020 Canadian Hillman Prize for Investigative Journalism, Martin was recognized for exposing ethical violations in Senate appointments. The award, judged by international media experts, highlights his commitment to accountability reporting in an era of declining political transparency.
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