Harper and Rae pile on as Mulcair’s dual citizenship raises eyebrows

mentalfloss

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Harper and Rae pile on as Mulcair’s dual citizenship raises eyebrows

Stephen Harper has only one passport. It’s Canadian. And that’s the way he likes it.

Thomas Mulcair, the Quebec MP and NDP leadership contender, carries two passports. One is Canadian, the other is French. “Obviously, it’s for Mr. Mulcair to use his political judgment in the case,” the Prime Minister observed in Saguenay, Que. “In my case, as I say, I am very clear. I am a Canadian and only a Canadian.”

Mr. Harper was responding to a question about the ethics of a potential Official Opposition leader holding dual citizenship. It was prompted by a Sun Media report Tuesday in which Mr. Mulcair vows to keep his French citizenship even if he becomes prime minister.

Bob Rae, who also holds only a Canadian passport, marvels at the hypocrisy of the NDP – and the hole they’ve dug for themselves on this issue.

The Interim Liberal Leader was referring to criticism by the late Jack Layton of Stéphane Dion, the former Official Opposition leader who is also a dual citizen of France and Canada.

In 2006, Mr. Layton said he “would prefer that a leader of a party hold only Canadian citizenship, because one represents many Canadians, and for it’s better to remain the citizen of one country.”

Remarked Mr. Rae: “There is a terrible sense of irony that while Mr. Layton didn’t hesitate to take a run at Mr. Dion in 2007, he didn’t seem to have the same view about his candidate or member from Outremont, Mr. Mulcair.”

A former cabinet minister in Jean Charest’s Liberal government, Mr. Mulcair won his federal seat in Montreal in a 2007 by-election.

“Mr. Mulcair and the NDP will have to decide whether their invented rule in Stéphane’s case applies now, or whether there has been a miraculous change of heart,” Mr. Rae told the Globe.

He argued New Democrats are now “stuck with either being completely inconsistent, or knuckling under to the Harper line, which in my view is too rigid.”

And there is nothing legally preventing Mr. Mulcair from holding two passports, the Interim Liberal Leader added.

“I’ve no idea how many dual citizens there are in Canada but I’d hate to see any Canadian denied a chance to run for office or even become prime minister because they have a dual heritage or passport,” Mr. Rae said. “Surely, we’re bigger than that as a country.”

As Mr. Harper noted in his remarks, this issue is not new. Former governor-general Michaëlle Jean provoked controversy when it came to light that she also held French citizenship. She revoked it just before she was sworn-in because it caused such a stir.

And in last May’s federal election campaign Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s wife, Zsuzsanna Zsohar, came under attack by right-wingers because she was still a Hungarian citizen. As a result, she couldn’t vote for her husband.

However, Ms. Zsohar had applied for Canadian citizenship and was waiting for it to come through. She called the attacks – which were also stoked by Sun Media – “hurtful.”

One of Mr. Mulcair’s rivals for the NDP leadership, meanwhile, was blunt. “This is a non issue,” Ottawa MP Paul Dewar told The Globe. “Tom is as Canadian as the rest of us. End of story”.

Harper and Rae pile on as Mulcair's dual citizenship raises eyebrows - The Globe and Mail
 

Cliffy

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Mr. Mulcair must be seen as quite a threat to Harper and Rae if they feel a need to attack him on such a silly issue. I think his dual citizenship would be an asset as he would have a broader perspective on world issues.
 

mentalfloss

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Mr. Mulcair must be seen as quite a threat to Harper and Rae if they feel a need to attack him on such a silly issue.

Especially considering the new NDP leader hasn't even been elected yet.
 

WLDB

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I'd say its not a big deal. I know quite a few people with dual citizenships. Hell, I'm interested in the idea myself at some point. This attack is rather xenophobic.
 

wulfie68

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Mr. Mulcair must be seen as quite a threat to Harper and Rae if they feel a need to attack him on such a silly issue. I think his dual citizenship would be an asset as he would have a broader perspective on world issues.

I don't see how it garners any broader perspective than anyone who is well-travelled will gain, and perhaps less so if he concentrates solely on France. Conversely, I can see where holding 2 citizenships can raise a question as to where a person's ultimate loyalty may reside. I felt the same with Stephane Dion when he wanted to lead a national party and put himself forward for the highest elected office in the country.

Edit: I don't have issues with dual citizenship for most people but when we are talking about govnerment officials who may have to choose between the competing interests of one country or another, I think it does become an issue.
 
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Machjo

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What!? Our MPs are still not legally required to have Canadian flags tattooed to their foreheads? Traitors!
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

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Dual citizenship always seems to leave me thinking "citizen of convenience"

You mean the type of Canadian who flies in for Cancer treatment then flies back to whatever place they call home.

Nothing wrong with that these days. Borders are meaning less and less as time goes by.

Except when it costs us millions to evacuate the convenient Canadians from places like Lebanon.
 
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IdRatherBeSkiing

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I don't think there is any issue with individual people having dual citizenships.

I have an issue with people of power holding dual citizenships. There is an inherent conflict of interest with a person deciding the fate of a nation (extreme case) who holds another citizenship.
 

WLDB

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No they don't. Where's all the good old nationalism gone?

George Grant said its dead.

I have an issue with people of power holding dual citizenships. There is an inherent conflict of interest with a person deciding the fate of a nation (extreme case) who holds another citizenship.

If the voters want them, then so be it. Also, its not like a person holding citizenship in one country hasnt acted against the interests of that country before. Citizenship does not guarantee loyalty one way or the other.

For a private citizen, no problem. When you're supposedly acting in the interests of a nation? Who do you trust?

He holds citizenship here. Thats good enough. How often do we have conflicts with France?
 

Machjo

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I say we pass a law that to graduate from high school you need to have a Canadian flag tattooed to your forehead. Anything less is just treason!
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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If the voters want them, then so be it. Also, its not like a person holding citizenship in one country hasnt acted against the interests of that country before. Citizenship does not guarantee loyalty one way or the other.

Well, given he's with the NDP, we should be pretty safe from that then.

Given known CPC tactics, would the NDP not consider him a liability? You saw how they attacked Dion and Iggy over much less. I can imagine a campain when he is trying to lead. Gives the CPC one attack before they even start campaining.
 

WLDB

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Well, given he's with the NDP, we should be pretty safe from that then.

Given known CPC tactics, would the NDP not consider him a liability? You saw how they attacked Dion and Iggy over much less. I can imagine a campain when he is trying to lead. Gives the CPC one attack before they even start campaining.

Sure, he might be. Ignatieff and Dion didn't really fight back though. They should have.
 

DurkaDurka

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Mar 15, 2006
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Sure, he might be. Ignatieff and Dion didn't really fight back though. They should have.

How would they fight back? Ignatieff's part time citizenship is well known, he can't really deny that and he certainly wasn't contributing to Canada while being a scholar overseas.
 

WLDB

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How would they fight back? Ignatieff's part time citizenship is well known, he can't really deny that and he certainly wasn't contributing to Canada while being a scholar overseas.

Attack Harper. Take a little character problem of one form or another and exploit it. Everyone has something.

Ignatieff's career overseas was irrelevant to the political discussion at the time. Be just as unreasonable.
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

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Attack Harper. Take a little character problem of one form or another and exploit it. Everyone has something.

Ignatieff's career overseas was irrelevant to the political discussion at the time. Be just as unreasonable.

I guess they could go after him on his secret agenda. What secret agenda? Oh yeah never mind. Or maybe his move to overturn gay marriage? He didn't overturn gay marriage. Oh yeah never mind. Or maybe taking away a womans right to choose? Oh yeah never mind.

Well, they could always criticize his garage band.