Ignatieff's Wife is Not Canadian Citizen

August1991 · April 7, 2011

Zsuzzana Zsohar, Ignatieff’s Hungarian-born wife, is a landed immigrant who still hasn’t obtained citizenship in Canada, Liberal party officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Until she becomes a citizen, Zsohar cannot vote or hold some government jobs.

Liberal party spokesman Michel Liboiron said Zsohar is a landed immigrant “but applied for her Canadian citizenship as soon as she was eligible.”

She “is waiting in the queue like every other new Canadian for her application to be reviewed,” he said.

Zsohar, 64, holds Hungarian and British citizenships.

Ignatieff and Zsohar met in London, England, in 1995 while Ignatieff was doing a television series on ethnic nationalism for the BBC, where Zsohar was in charge of publicity.

The couple moved to Cambridge, Mass., in 2000 when Ignatieff became director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights.

They moved to Canada in 2005 and bought a Yorkville condo.

Toronto Sun

What I don't understand here is that she has been resident in Canada since 2005 (5 or 6 years) and she still has not obtained citizenship. Why not?

It requires three years residency before one can apply for citizenship and I can understand bureaucratic delays but this seems very long. Either Ignatieff's wife didn't see this as a priority and hence hasn't pushed the bureaucracy or she simply didn't apply on time.

I personally take these matters seriously. If someone wants to represent Canadians in government, I think they should be resident here and strongly attached to the country.

Canada is not a flag of convenience.

Smallc · April 7, 2011

Wait, why do I care? There are enough real reasons to question Ignatieff's leadership.

Bonam · April 7, 2011

I personally take these matters seriously. If someone wants to represent Canadians in government, I think they should be resident here and strongly attached to the country.

Umm, it's Ignatieff that wants to represent Canadians in government, not his wife. Whether she is Canadian or not is irrelevant.

Moonlight Graham · April 7, 2011

Umm, it's Ignatieff that wants to represent Canadians in government, not his wife. Whether she is Canadian or not is irrelevant.

I don't think it's completely irrelevant. She will be somewhat of a diplomatic figure if Iggy is PM, chumming with foreign leaders and so forth, most of whom will assume she's a Canadian.

ToadBrother · April 7, 2011

I don't think it's completely irrelevant. She will be somewhat of a diplomatic figure if Iggy is PM, chumming with foreign leaders and so forth, most of whom will assume she's a Canadian.

Foreign leaders have their own intelligence services. They'd know long before Iggy showed up that she wasn't a Canadian citizen.

Is this an entry in "Most Moronic Election Issue Contest"? I can't wait to see what utter irrelevant stupidity comes up next.

cybercoma · April 7, 2011

I'm not sure why this is important and you answered the question yourself. It takes 3 years to apply and she has been added to the queue like everyone else. At least he's not using his political clout to get her to jump the queue. I think it looks good on him for that reason.

All of this stuff about Ignatieff not being Canadian (and now add to it this stuff about his wife) is nonsense. He's from the Grant family with distant ties to the Massey family. Two of the biggest names in Canadian history. He received his BA at the University of Toronto.

They guy is Canadian, for God's sake. I wish we could drop this nonsense. He did post-grad studying at Oxford and Harvard. Taking up positions with the universities where you do post-grad work is common for many people. If this disqualifies Canadians from being Prime Minister, then we might as well write off our best and brightest.

Edited April 7, 2011 by cybercoma

bush_cheney2004 · April 7, 2011

....They guy is Canadian, for God's sake.

OK...but why does he use his American cloaking device when convenient?

Bonam · April 7, 2011

OK...but why does he use his American cloaking device when convenient?

Why not?

bush_cheney2004 · April 7, 2011

Why not?

Because he wants to be Prime Minister of Canada?

blueblood · April 7, 2011

To the op:

Who cares?

Bonam · April 7, 2011

Because he wants to be Prime Minister of Canada?

And?

bush_cheney2004 · April 7, 2011

And?

.....and this: http://www.filibustercartoons.com/New%20Canada%20Guide/index.php?page=americans

(Thanks to DoP!)

Edited April 7, 2011 by bush_cheney2004

Bonam · April 7, 2011

.....and this: http://www.filibustercartoons.com/New%20Canada%20Guide/index.php?page=americans

(Thanks to DoP!)

And? I'm sure Ignatieff is aware that his association with America may play poorly with some voters. If he chooses to use his "American cloaking device" he accepts that as one of the effects.

bush_cheney2004 · April 7, 2011

And? I'm sure Ignatieff is aware that his association with America may play poorly with some voters. If he chooses to use his "American cloaking device" he accepts that as one of the effects.

Yes...but the cloaking device diverts too much power from his shields!

August1991 · April 7, 2011

Is this an entry in "Most Moronic Election Issue Contest"? I can't wait to see what utter irrelevant stupidity comes up next.

Whether you think this matters or not is quite irrelevant. It does matter and the proof is that the Tories have run very successful attack ads using the catch phrase: "He's just visiting." Ignatieff's connection to Canada, and his wife's citizenship, are legitimate questions.

Heck, I happen to think that Ignatieff's biggest problem is that he just can't connect with ordinary Canadians. (And I also suspect that the reason for this is that ordinary Canadians can see that Ignatieff is a flake, a fair-weather friend.)

----

But TB, if you still don't get my point, imagine for a second that when Ignatieff returned to Canada, he had chosen instead to run as a Conservative. How would the Anglo Leftist MSM now be portraying his identification with Americans or defense of Bush's invasion of Iraq?

Edited April 7, 2011 by August1991

ToadBrother · April 7, 2011

Heck, I happen to think that Ignatieff's biggest problem is that he just can't connect with ordinary Canadians.

Not just his. Harper has equal difficulties. The best baby kisser of the lot is Layton.

And yes, this is an idiotic, even insulting issue. You're a Quebecer, would you like me to start questioning whether you're a real Canadian or not?

This is the worst part of elections, the sheer vileness of the attacks. No substance, only venom, and fallacies so abundant that you'd think the whole country would sink under the weight of the illogic.

Probably one of the grumpiest, least "connectable" men to have ever run for public office anywhere was Gladstone, and yet he is now counted as possibly the greatest Prime Minister in Westminster tradition.

Edited April 7, 2011 by ToadBrother

Bonam · April 7, 2011

But TB, if you still don't get my point, imagine for a second that when Ignatieff returned to Canada, he had chosen instead to run as a Conservative. How would the Anglo Leftist MSM now be portraying his identification with Americans or defense of Bush's invasion of Iraq?

They'd be ripping him to shreds on it. But his wife is Hungarian, not American.

Bonam · April 7, 2011

Yes...but the cloaking device diverts too much power from his shields!

Long as he can still fire the photon torpedoes.

Battletoads · April 7, 2011

This just in from the COns:

Married to a non-citizen? You're not a real Canadian.

Lets see how it plays with the ethnic vote.

Bonam · April 7, 2011

This just in from the COns:

Married to a non-citizen? You're not a real Canadian.

Cite?

expat voter · April 7, 2011

Ignatieff arrived as an unknown on the Canadian political scene, and remains a bit of a wild card. How would he do in office? This is admittedly a legitimate question. But I prefer this unknown to what I know about Harper Conservatives.

Judgement of Ignatieff's wife should be way out on the periphery of all this. Would it be fair for an employer to ask questions about your significant other in order to make a hiring decision?

expat voter · April 7, 2011

the ethnic vote.

I detest that term.

bloodyminded · April 7, 2011

Foreign leaders have their own intelligence services. They'd know long before Iggy showed up that she wasn't a Canadian citizen.

Is this an entry in "Most Moronic Election Issue Contest"? I can't wait to see what utter irrelevant stupidity comes up next.

Harper's singing leaves something to be desired! Layton touched somebody during the Olympics!

bloodyminded · April 7, 2011

But TB, if you still don't get my point, imagine for a second that when Ignatieff returned to Canada, he had chosen instead to run as a Conservative. How would the Anglo Leftist MSM now be portraying his identification with Americans

I dunno...maybe playing that ad a thousand times, just as they've been doing?

or defense of Bush's invasion of Iraq?

Since Harper supported it--and went to the States to tell them how sad he was that we weren't joining their grand adventure--the Conservatives can't play on that one, now, can they? As much as they'd no doubt wish to do so.

As for the mainstream media...it's not "leftist."

If you think it is, you should be able to demonstrate it through cogent analysis.

Harry · April 7, 2011

This thread title smacks of Conservative desperation, another example of gutter politics, and Canadians already tired of this US approach to politics, will probably end up punishing Harper on voting day for this.