August1991 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 NDP leadership hopeful Thomas Mulcair holds dual Canadian and French citizenship and vows to keep both even if he should one day become Canada's prime minister.That would set Mulcair at odds with the man he seeks to succeed, Jack Layton. Layton, in 2006, said he thought it inappropriate that Stephane Dion hold dual French and Canadian citizenship as leader of the Liberal Party. "I would prefer that a leader of a party hold only Canadian citizenship, because one represents many Canadians, and for me that means that it's better to remain the citizen of one country," Layton said in 2006. ... The Liberals supported Mulcair's view as did leadership rival Nathan Cullen. The Conservatives and every other leadership rival except for Niki Ashton refused to comment. Ashton could not be reached. Toronto SunI think Mulcair is making a political mistake here but the issue raises a more serious point. Canada's political class is sometimes at odds with how ordinary people live and think. The issue of dual citizenship is an example. The political class does not live in the same way that you or I do. They make decisions that affect us but they themselves don't have to submit to the same rules. For example, MPs have pensions, non-taxable stipends and travel entitlements that few if any of us have. They enjoy access to health care that is denied the rest of us. The result is that people like Mulcair (and others consulted) don't understand why ordinary Canadians object to a potential Prime Minister being a dual citizen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundlander Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Jack Layton would be pissed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilter Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) Fortunately for Canada we don't have to worry about Mulcair being PM---the NDP will never occupy that office and he will fall to the wayside like Russian Thistles on a Saskatchewan barded wire fence--- and be just as popular out west. Edited January 17, 2012 by Tilter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evening Star Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Where is the evidence that 'ordinary Canadians' give two craps about this, considering that we've had PMs who held dual citizenship by birth? A six-year-old comment by a dead member of the political class with a vested interest? How on earth is this comparable to MPs' pensions and benefits? Many 'ordinary Canadians' hold dual citizenship and manage to go about their lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punked Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) Still pulling for Brain Topp. Edited January 17, 2012 by punked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 He's a Canadian citizen. I don't see the problem. If having dual-citizenship is an issue, then perhaps we shouldn't allow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capricorn Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Jack Layton would be pissed. No prob. According to Mulcair, St. Jack misspoke. Indeed, Mulcair said he raised the issue with Layton before agreeing to come on board as his Quebec lieutenant in 2007."Jack and I talked about it straight up and he told me that literally in so many words ... He said, 'That's not the answer I should have given.'" http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/mulcair-defends-dual-citizenship-accuses-pm-of-parochialism-hypocrisy--137522803.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capricorn Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Many 'ordinary Canadians' hold dual citizenship and manage to go about their lives. According to the link in my post above, in the 2006 census, 863,000 "ordinary Canadians" reported dual citizenship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 He's a Canadian citizen. I don't see the problem. If having dual-citizenship is an issue, then perhaps we shouldn't allow it. There is no problem to you and me. We are only two votes. If there is any problem it is for the NDP! The question will be, how many NDP voters feel that a PM, Opposition Leader or even just an MP with dual citizenship has a potential conflict of loyalties. Myself, I want my PM or representative to exclusively have loyalty to MY country! Some of us still feel that citizenship is supposed to actually mean something. But that's just me! Perhaps you are right and the idea doesn't bother anyone, or at least not enough people to matter come voting time. It certainly was an issue with Stephane Dion. If Mulcair wins, it will be interesting to see how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentalfloss Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Wow.. this thread got off to a pretty biased start, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I want my PM or representative to exclusively have loyalty to MY country! What about your sovereign? Some of us still feel that citizenship is supposed to actually mean something. And what is that, exactly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 What about your sovereign? And what is that, exactly? Fortunately, since both Britain and Canada are constitutional monarchies, rather than absolute ones, the monarch has little or no overt power. Still, he or she does have a great deal of influence. I don't know what would happen if there were ever a conflict of interests between our two countries and the monarch was expected to take a stand. We have such history together that a serious dispute seems rather unlikely, to say the least. Still, we have evolved with this situation and really can't do much about it. However, your example is a poor parallel. Our PM is NOT our monarch! He or she will not be the PM of TWO different countries! And if he or she were, it WOULD be more than just an academic problem because a Prime Minister of Canada has REAL power! As for what citizenship means, it means being responsible to your own nation, first and foremost, with no competing interests. How could that possibly be true with dual citizenship? Particularly if the other citizenship is French. There could be another war in Europe, or a dispute with St. Pierre and Miquelon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 His wife is French and his kids hold dual-citizenship. He got his dual-citizenship to make it easier to travel with his children to see their extended family on their mother's side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peeves Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) His wife is French and his kids hold dual-citizenship. He got his dual-citizenship to make it easier to travel with his children to see their extended family on their mother's side. I would never support any leader of any party of my country that held dual citizenship. Either they are Canadian in toto or they are not. Edited January 18, 2012 by Peeves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIK Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 And Harper stood back and let rae step into it, the man is a genius. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I would never support any leader of any party of my country that held dual citizenship. Either they are Canadian in toto or they are not. You would never support any NDP leader ever, so it doesn't matter what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peeves Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 You would never support any NDP leader ever, so it doesn't matter what you think. You keep saying it doesn't matter what I think but you hang on my every word. Actually you are so inflexibly tunnel visioned (just my opinion from your rather stunted unimaginative responses), that you have no real basis for that little , actually minuscule, gibe. In fact I have voted at one time or another for all three of the major parties. So I guess you chose to attempt to be confrontational rather than think. Not that your little ripostes matter one way or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Road Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I don't think it much matters, because he has a deep commitment to Canada and he has always shown a serious, well-composed demeanour when in the public eye. I think he would do a good job as leader of the NDP, he certainly would gain the support of the people in Quebec. Still it is a mystery that so many people voted for Jack, don't you think? What a wonder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilter Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I don't think it much matters, because he has a deep commitment to Canada and he has always shown a serious, well-composed demeanour when in the public eye. I think he would do a good job as leader of the NDP, he certainly would gain the support of the people in Quebec. Still it is a mystery that so many people voted for Jack, don't you think? What a wonder! And, if not here in Canada--- Sarkozy is failing in France so he has a double shot at fame & fortune :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 His wife is French and his kids hold dual-citizenship. He got his dual-citizenship to make it easier to travel with his children to see their extended family on their mother's side. So? What does HOW he got dual citizenship got to do with how voters might feel about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Why do the voters hate his children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Road Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 And, if not here in Canada--- Sarkozy is failing in France so he has a double shot at fame & fortune :lol: Hehe, they are in deep trouble in Europe, I bet they'd like to get their hands on a Canuck, a pleasant break. We are the "safe haven" in a very unstable global economy, as they say. Do you think the Eurozone collapsing will destabilize the global economy? world financial system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Why do the voters hate his children? Who said anything about his children? I don't see the connection. Are you saying that even though some voters may not like a leader with dual citizenship they will vote for him anyway for fear of making his children feel badly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 He has dual-citizenship to make it easier to travel with his children to see their family on their mother's side. If people have a problem with that, then they must hate his children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 He has dual-citizenship to make it easier to travel with his children to see their family on their mother's side. If people have a problem with that, then they must hate his children. So people without dual citizenship find it a hardship to visit France? You're REALLY stretching here, CC! Have you been hanging out with CR? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.9a49e1b2f22a6d34a345152c50044aa9.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.