It was on this date in 1988 that a rookie MP from the Montreal area took to his feet in the House of Commons for the first time.  Fittingly, the new MP quoted from the maiden speech of his father’s, made decades before in the House, by stating that he felt conscious of the responsibility he had been given by his constituents. The future PM also noted in his own first speech in the Chamber that his father, Paul Martin Sr., had waited a year after his election before taking to his feet.  In contrast, Paul Martin Jr. noted that times had certainly changed -- he’d only been a Member of Parliament for a few weeks when he took his turn. I used to write to Paul Martin Sr. while in university, usually seeking assistance on my political history essays; Mr. Martin Sr. always took the time to write me back.  Like his father before him, the Rt. Hon. Mr. Martin has been a great supporter of my work in the field of political history over many years.  With this in mind I am proud to share his maiden address with readers. Paul Martin Sr. discusses Paul Martin Jr. (32 years ago): As Paul Martin Jr. enters politics, Paul Martin Sr. offers advice drawn from 50 years of experience. caption id="attachment_529405" align="alignnone" width="600" Paul Martin and Art Milnes/caption Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist.  He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also proudly served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy.  A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.