Another point, foreign residents working in Canada do in fact pay their taxes to Canada, while many citizens working abroad don't. that's another reason I think it should be based on residency, not citizenship.
Non-Citizens Right To Vote
- Thread starter Liberalman
- Start date
I may not understand this properly, but this is what I understand so far:
1) A Canadian working/living out of Canada can still vote for up to 5yrs,
then loses that privilege/right.
2) A new immigrant to Canada, once they become a Landed Immigrant,
can apply for Citizenship in 5yrs, and with citizenship has the right to vote.
Am I up to speed with the two above points? With the 5yr time frame window
working on both sides of this issue?
1) A Canadian working/living out of Canada can still vote for up to 5yrs,
then loses that privilege/right.
2) A new immigrant to Canada, once they become a Landed Immigrant,
can apply for Citizenship in 5yrs, and with citizenship has the right to vote.
Am I up to speed with the two above points? With the 5yr time frame window
working on both sides of this issue?
Citizens living outside of Canada can vote provided they have been out of the country for less then five years.
If one wishes to vote in the country they live in, an expectation that they be citizens really isn't unfair.
Elections Canada On-Line | Frequently Asked Questions
"If you are an elector (a person who is eligible to vote) and have been living away from Canada for less than five consecutive years since your departure from Canada, you are eligible to vote under the Special Voting Rules. You can register to vote at any time – just click here."
If one wishes to vote in the country they live in, an expectation that they be citizens really isn't unfair.
Elections Canada On-Line | Frequently Asked Questions
"If you are an elector (a person who is eligible to vote) and have been living away from Canada for less than five consecutive years since your departure from Canada, you are eligible to vote under the Special Voting Rules. You can register to vote at any time – just click here."
So paying taxes should automatically allow you to vote? I don't think so. Paying your taxes is one small part of your civic responsibilities.
You need to look into what a citizen is and the aspects involved in transfer of "title" through the banking and registry systems. I'm surprised it is as long as 5 years considering that the "value" of a person to a nation is pretty huge $$$.
Again - my mind - you need to be a citizen - and pay your taxes (to or in Canada) - then you can vote.
So waht about a citizen on social assistance or receiving disability insurance, etc.
So what about a foreign worker paying his taxes and giving of his time to the community. Some do in faxct do that, and I've met some. Likewise, I've met Canadians abroad who likewise give to their local communities where they live. The fact that a person is not a citizen of Canada doesn't mean he doesn't love it and gives of his time and money to the community. That's why I think residency would make more sense than citizenship. Inversely, we can have Canadian-born citizens who've never lived abroad who couldn't care less about anyone but themselves. Citizenship as it currently stands is but a legal term that in no way says anything about a person's character, patriotism, etc.
They are already a citizen so what they contribute in taxes is of little relevance.
I was simply pointing out that some non-citizens are contributing more in taxes to Canada than some citizens do, and then, on top of taxes, some give of their time and money too. Like I said, 've met some and so know they exist.
Landed immigrants already have the opportunity to vote. They simply need to become citizens. It's pretty easy once you're a landed immigrant. If they choose not to engage themselves fully in the country, that's their choice. Simple.
Citizenship, residency, AND a tax return. You can't pick which one should be necessary to vote, when all should.
I agree that residents/permanent residents contribute greatly to their adopted homelands but unless they put the effort into becoming a citizen, they shouldn't reap the benefits that a citizen has, such as voting.
Obtaining citizenship shows a general devotion to one's new country and sets them apart from the "resident" in my opinion.
I agree with you, but if they are doing that well for them selves in this country then they should become citizens.
I guess it's a matter of perspective. If I move from Victoria to Montreal on some business contract for a few years, I immediately lose my right to vote in Victoria and BC elections and gain the right to vote in Montreal and Quebec elections, even if only for a few years. Once I return to Victoria, it all automatically switches back again. Looing at it along the same lines, what about an American who'll move to Canada for a few years on a contract, or an international student. While here, some of them do in fact give of their time. For isntance, I knew a Ghanan student a few years ago who volunteered to teach literacy to illiterate Canadian adults on Saturdays for a few hours, for no other reason than that it was in his ethic to give to the local community wherever he was, and in his mind, while in Victoria, he was a Victorian.
Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, but just that we have different perspectives. I would associate voting more with residency, while you associate it more with citizenship. All I'd say is that as long as we're consistent. For example, I don't think a Canadian living abroad should be allowed to vote in Canada any more than a Victorian in Montreal should be allowed to vote in Victoria. Likewsie, think a foreigner in Canada should be allowed to vote just as a Victorian living in Montreal should be allowed to vote in Montreal.
Your perspective would be more along the lines that the victorian should vote in Victoria no matter where he lives, and an out-of-towner living in Montreal should not be allowed to vote in Montreal. Both are valid arguments, just depending on whether we have a residential or citizenship view of voting rights.
Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, but just that we have different perspectives. I would associate voting more with residency, while you associate it more with citizenship. All I'd say is that as long as we're consistent. For example, I don't think a Canadian living abroad should be allowed to vote in Canada any more than a Victorian in Montreal should be allowed to vote in Victoria. Likewsie, think a foreigner in Canada should be allowed to vote just as a Victorian living in Montreal should be allowed to vote in Montreal.
Your perspective would be more along the lines that the victorian should vote in Victoria no matter where he lives, and an out-of-towner living in Montreal should not be allowed to vote in Montreal. Both are valid arguments, just depending on whether we have a residential or citizenship view of voting rights.
You can vote after 3 months of taking up a healtcard in the province you reside in since your old card is good for 3 month that is a total of 6 months of residence in order to vote..
Thanks for the correction. Though in my opinion, it should be immediately on adopting a new pace of residence to be fair.