Paul Harold Macklin, PC, MP (born May 22, 1944 in Northumberland County, Ontario) is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Northumberland—Quinte West of the Liberal Party caucus from 2000 to 2006.[1]
Macklin has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, and a law degree from the University of Windsor. After being called to the bar, Macklin worked for the Toronto firm of Davies, Ward & Beck.[1]
He was first elected to Parliament in the federal election of 2000, winning a fairly easily victory over his Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative opponents in the riding of Northumberland. The CA and PC parties merged in late 2003, and Macklin faced a much more difficult challenge in that year's federal election, defeating Conservative Doug Galt by only 313 votes.[2]
Macklin served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from February 2002 to December 2003, and was re-appointed to the position on July 20, 2004.[3]
He was defeated by Conservative Rick Norlock in the 2006 election. Macklin was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Northumberland-Quinte West for the 2008 election, and was again defeated by Norlock.[1]
In July 2009, Paul Macklin announced he would not seek the Liberal nomination in Northumberland-Quinte West for the next election. The following September his successor was determined by a Liberal nomination race and Cobourg business woman Kim Rudd was chosen to succeed Macklin.[4]
Paul Macklin currently sits on the Northumberland-Quinte West Federal Liberal Association as the Policy Director, still active in politics and a key advisor to Rudd and her campaign.[5]