I've been trying to find out, but haven't yet -- the news reports say he has dual citizenship because his mother is Paris-born. Was this automatic at the time of his birth or did he actively pursue it?
I wonder if dual citizenship was available to the children of Brits who came to Canada in those days, or just to the French? I don't actually remember dual citizenship being available to anyone until recently.
If he sought it out, I would like to know when.
I only wonder, because it is implied that French citizenship was never his choice, but that it just fell on him by accident of birth. He has said nothing to counter this. Actually, he seems somewhat uncomfortable talking about it. Testy even.
Anyone who knows the answer -- please post. I find it hard to form a fair opinion without that detail.
Thanks.
canadianna
12 comments:
"Unlike all those sweaty-balled, third world dictatorships that are constantly wrapped up in internecine tribal warfare... patriotism and citizenship are cornerstone values of Canadian society. Or has that changed as well?"
Stephane Dion says it's not worth talking about.
He likes yapping about this though...
Dion has stuck with this plan, even though the Liberal government's own consultants warned that major emitters would hoard the credits and wait until the price rose, at which point they'd make a killing at the expense of the taxpayer.
Someone could send a question to Mr. Dion via Peter Mansbridge, when he appears on the National on Thursday. Something like, "Now that you are in a position to potentially become Prime Minister of Canada, will you renounce your citizenship of France?"
Citizenship is a product of the country granting it so, if France gives French citizenship automatically to children of French citizens, Dion needed to do nothing to get it.
I note that the current Governor General had a similar situation and voluntarily repudiated her French citizenship as she thought it inappropriate to be a dual citizen while being a Canadian representative.
Not sure we see how his mother is connected with this through the comments, I'll explain. While Stephane Dion was over in Paris getting his bourgeouis education he wanted to avoid paying international fees (they're expensive). There are two options, adopt a child or get citizenship.
France, Israel, Armenia, and so on have a policy called "right to return" which is a sort of blood kinship (its a really contentious issue in Israeli politics). The idea is if you have the blood of a person from that particular ethnic group you are automatically given citizenship if you want it. For Dion to apply as a French citizen he paid no fees and just showed his mother's birth certificate.
Dion was in fact a member of the PQ and was in fact a separatist. The PQ used to be "cool", its very hard not to get caught up with it... sort of like how Albertans couldn't stop voting Reform. They were hitting issues that were close to home and mattered.
Dual citizenship is not automatic unless you were born outside the country and came to Canada afterwards. It is optional for most that have a parent from another country. (Maybe all? I don't know.) A good friend of mine has dual Canadian/English citizenship because her father is English. Having the English passport makes it really easy to travel in Europe. If he indeed went to school in France, which I believe he did, the citizenship would have made things easier for him.
Why on earth should it matter, anyway?
kevvyd-- It matters because I wouldn't want to judge him unfairly if he didn't seek out foreign citizenship.
I wonder why a Canadian, with no plans to emigrate or work abroad, would want to become a citizen of another country. Divided loyalties in a PM would really, really bother me.
Oh, I'm pretty sure he sought it out, but I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that it was because of advantages it gave him, not for reasons of loyalty. He did go to school in France, and if what Paul Vincent says above is correct there were financial reasons for taking the citizenship. My friend took her British one just to make travelling in Europe easier. If i had the option to do the same, I'd probably take it just to simplify life. Not that I travel that much anymore, but there was a time...
As for whether he had plans to ever work abroad - who's to say? All indications are that his career up until the 90's was that of an academic. It would not be untoward to suppose that he thought dual citizenship would open up his options for work.
kevvyd -- if there is no longer any reason for him to hold this citizenship (financial etc.) then as potential PM he should renounce it.
Why? If you have reason to question his loyalty, present it. If there is a legal reason for him to do so, fine.
Otherwise, no he does not have to. Canadians will punish him at the polls if they decide this is important to them. My bet is that by and large they won't. There are those for whom his political stripe will be enough to make them look for whatever they can find to attack with; that's a die that he will choose, or not, to roll.
This is just a play by Ezra Levant to see what he can get to stick to Dion and will be forgotten in a week. The fact is that Dion is a green-tinged Liberal that was untouched by the Gomery inquiry and, whether deserved or not, can attack the Tories on the environment. In short, he is a real threat to the Conservatives, even to the NDP, and they are trying to make political gain on the back of nothing of import.
kevvyd -- just read my next post.
Just saw it...
You certainly can become a dual/multiple citizen born in Canada w/o actively seeking it out.
Example: child born in Canada with a British father and an American mother.
Assuming that the parents are married and that the mom spent five years in the US, two of which were after age 14, that child has British, American, and Canadian citizenship automatically at birth.
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The issue is whether Dion should renounce his second citizenship, and if he refuses, why?
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