Martin read from a prepared statement on Thursday before meeting with Arab community leaders in Montreal.
"I have complete confidence in Ralph Goodale," said the Liberal party leader, who has been on a holiday break from campaigning leading up to the Jan. 23 general election. "He is a good, honest man and a person of the highest integrity and he will not be stepping down."
Martin's comments came after Goodale appeared on CBC's The National on Wednesday night to say he would not leave office.
Prime Minister Paul Martin speaking at a press conference in Montreal.
Hours earlier, the New Democratic Party said it had been informed the RCMP would investigate an NDP MP's complaint that Goodale's office may have been involved in a leak of information that affected stock market activity.
On Thursday, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said during a campaign stop in Vancouver that it doesn't matter whether the finance minister steps down during the probe, because the issue goes beyond whether Goodale was involved.
The latest incident follows the pattern of Liberal corruption and entitlement, he said.
The NDP is calling for Finance Minister Ralph Goodale to step down.
"It's the final nail. Ralph Goodale can stay on and run around in his limousine until Jan. 23. What's important is that he and his government are run out of office. This government has not earned the benefit of the doubt."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said during his campaign stop in Toronto the same day that Goodale's decision not to step aside speaks to his judgment.
"It is blindingly obvious, based on ample precedent, that when a minister's department is under criminal investigation ... the minister should step aside," said Layton.
Heavy trading followed announcement
The allegation involved a Nov. 23 announcement that the federal government would not change taxes on income trusts. An unusual amount of market trading erupted before the late-afternoon announcement, which came less than a week before the minority Liberal government fell on a confidence motion.
Goodale told CBC News said he would not bow to political pressure and leave his cabinet post during the RCMP investigation. Cabinet ministers often step down when they are the target of investigations into alleged wrongdoing.
"The RCMP said in their statement of this afternoon that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing on my part, or on the part of anyone else for that matter," Goodale told the CBC's chief correspondent, Peter Mansbridge.
"They are examining this situation because of the seriousness of the allegations."
Goodale emphasized that the allegations have not been proven.
"This is not an allegation of jaywalking, it's an allegation of something much more serious than that, but it is just that, it is an allegation. It is not by any means proven and I know I've examined my own conduct in this matter and I'm confident that conduct is consistent with 30 years of integrity and trust in public life."
Questioned repeatedly about why he won't step aside until the investigation is complete, Goodale said RCMP officials aren't at the root of the allegations. "The opposition have made those allegations."
The RCMP, he added, "have said they are looking into this matter because of the seriousness of the allegation.
"They have, at the same time, said they have no information, no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of anyone - most particularly on my part - and quite frankly if I were to resign under those circumstances, I believe I would only feed allegations that are out there in the context of a very political situation."
- INDEPTH: Income trusts
On Nov. 23, the federal government announced just before 6 p.m. EST that it would cut the tax on corporate dividends and would make no changes to the tax on income trusts. It's news that is always announced after stock markets close at 4 p.m. EST because it would give a boost to those types of securities.
But since then, there have been allegations that information about the changes was leaked early, allowing some in the know to profit from it. There was heavy trading in some stocks and trusts, as well as spikes in share prices just before the close of trading.
A letter that surfaced Wednesday from the RCMP's commissioner, Guiliano Zaccardelli, confirmed the force was launching a criminal investigation into the alleged information leak.
