Lord, thank you for John Martin. He has diligently sought and stood for righteousness and justice. Let his legal judgments be tempered with Your Mercy. God, as John continues to make a stand for your principles, please protect him and his family. I ask that he would be able to see from above circumstances with godly wisdom, discernment and courage in the face of adversity. Thank you that you are strengthening him, a man of integrity, willing to speak out clearly for those who need an advocate. Please bless his wife Margaret as he gives out tirelessly to his constituents.
John was elected MLA for Chilliwack in 2013, and re-elected in 2017. He has a passion for labour laws and the interaction between employees and employers which is highlighted in his role as Labour critic for the official opposition. He also resides on the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives.
Previously, John served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, as well as on a number of committees, including the Cabinet Committee on Secure Tomorrow, the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, and the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts. He has also chaired the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders, and Private Bills.
Prior to his election to the Legislature, John worked as a criminologist and faculty member in the School of Criminology at the University of the Fraser Valley. He holds a Certificate of Technology in Broadcast Communications from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and two degrees in criminology from Simon Fraser University.
John has also taught criminal justice at Douglas College, the Native Education Centre in Vancouver, and Lethbridge College. John has written curriculum and instructed courses for RCMP members at the Pacific Regional Training Centre and new recruits at the Correctional Service of Canada’s Staff College.
John has testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. He has also taught Canadian Studies at Takushoku University in Japan as a visiting scholar.
Raised in the Lower Mainland, John resides in Chilliwack with his wife, Margaret, and their two Shetland Sheepdogs