The Minister of Finance is one of the most important positions in the Cabinet of Canada. The current Minister of Finance (2004) is Ralph Goodale.
It is the responsibility of the Finance Minister to manage and each year present the federal government's budget. The Minister of Finance must deal with all the other departments and plays an important role in deciding which will receive more funding.
The Minister of Finance is usually one of the most unpopular positions in the government, being responsible for unpopular cuts and increases in taxes. Paul Martin Jr., however seems to have overcome this and his long reign as minister helped elevate him to the national popularity that allowed him to become Prime Minister.
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