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

DaSleeper

Trolling Hypocrites
May 27, 2007
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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.

Well...He's got way too much hair to be good lookin'...;-)
 

Mowich

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Dec 25, 2005
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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.

Come on Cliffy, one doesn't need dual citizenship in order to have a broad perspective of world issues.......were that true then all politicians would need to hold multiple citizenship in a number of countries.

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.

Maybe so but then you are hoping to hold the highest office in Canada.
 

Durry

House Member
May 18, 2010
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There have been four previous Prime Ministers who have had dual citizenship while holding the PM office. John Turner was one of them.

I think there should be a law to prevent a PM from having dual citizenship. I want to know my PM is working for me full time and has my countries interest ,,,full time.
Furthermore, a law addressing this would put this issue to rest once and for all!!
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
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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.

Personally, I'd take pot shots at the hair. He has lego man hair.

No ... but in theory....

I agree. It's the appearance and/or potential for impropriety that is the problem when your talking about a position like PM. Got to have all your ducks in a row if you want that gig.
 

WLDB

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Jun 24, 2011
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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.

That was useless. They could have gone on his stances on those issues and that of the Iraq war. If we're going to go after Ignatieff for irrlevant things he did in the past, why not Harper too.
Well, they could always criticize his garage band.

His sound man especially.

I think there should be a law to prevent a PM from having dual citizenship. I want to know my PM is working for me full time and has my countries interest ,,,full time.
Furthermore, a law addressing this would put this issue to rest once and for all!!

You'd need to define the PM position in law to make laws regarding the PM. It'd be nice to have some to limit the power of the office as well. At the moment its just a position of convention.

As we've had PM's with dual citizenship without incident in the past it seems fine to continue having them from time to time.
 

pgs

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Nov 29, 2008
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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.
When did Rae join the conservatives?
Or did you even read the article?
 

Vancouverite

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Dec 23, 2011
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I immigrated here many years ago, and I have renounced my citizenship to the land of my birth, so I'm only Canadian. But I don't have any problems with people who want dual citizenship.
 

taxslave

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I immigrated here many years ago, and I have renounced my citizenship to the land of my birth, so I'm only Canadian. But I don't have any problems with people who want dual citizenship.

This is one place where I feel we should copy the US. To be PM you must be born in Canada. Solves all problems.
 

Goober

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Jan 23, 2009
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I immigrated here many years ago, and I have renounced my citizenship to the land of my birth, so I'm only Canadian. But I don't have any problems with people who want dual citizenship.

I do when they are running for Political Office.

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.

So if dual citizenship offers the benefit of a more informed person perhaps we should all have it. What a boon for the educational system. No need to study that you are a dual citizen so are more enlightened than us poor plebes that are Just Canadian.

Did you think on that post for a second or 2?:p
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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This is one place where I feel we should copy the US. To be PM you must be born in Canada. Solves all problems.

Its undemocratic to limit such things from citizens regardless of their place of origin. If the voters want them to hold the office, they'll elect them. If not, they won't.

Again, we'd then have to define exactly what the PM is on paper rather than just have it as a position of convention.
 

dumpthemonarchy

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Jan 18, 2005
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We can have MPs who are not even born in Canada, and Canada has more than most of these. For a leader of a party to have dual citizenship is too much. If a leader of a political party could become PM, they have to make very clear, long before, where their loyalties lie. For any country, even the UK.

it is far more than a matter of legalties, when you're a leader of a party or country, we expect a wholly Canadian outlook. We want leaders who make Canada number one at all times. You can't do that if our leaders have an outlet to another country, a just in case exit plan. For most Canadians, there is no going back anywhere else.

That said, I could get EU citizenship if I wished, but as a private citizen, it is not political issue for the country. Dual citzenship is not a problem in itself. But if you work for any govt, then it is an issue.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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it is far more than a matter of legalties, when you're a leader of a party or country, we expect a wholly Canadian outlook. We want leaders who make Canada number one at all times. You can't do that if our leaders have an outlet to another country, a just in case exit plan. For most Canadians, there is no going back anywhere else..

We have one little inconsistency here which your name references: a foreign head of state. That brings in some big inconsistencies if we start to make an issue out of this non-issue.

There is no proof that a person with dual citizenship is any less loyal than one with only one citizenship. Only irrational fear.
 

dumpthemonarchy

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We have one little inconsistency here which your name references: a foreign head of state. That brings in some big inconsistencies if we start to make an issue out of this non-issue.

There is no proof that a person with dual citizenship is any less loyal than one with only one citizenship. Only irrational fear.

When Canada was a willing and happy partner in the British empire, perhaps. But even then, imperial interests to many meant the inrerests of England. Powerful empires don't care about their far flung outposts, they are to contribute blood and treasure for the greater glory. That's real politic.

We need a head of state born in Canada, not a country where we need a passport to enter, like the UK. The UK, great country to visit, but it's not my country, and British citizens don't call Canada their country.

We need to solve, that is cut, the legalties before the informal Anglosphere can really take off. If you're in politics, get rid of your other citizenship ASAP to end the irritating complications.
 

Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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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.

I disagree. If anything it makes ze Konservativz seem a litl too nazionalistisch.

To give in to such Konservativ Taktiks would degrade Canadian politics to the point where it would all be about which party looks most uebernazionalistisch. before you know it politicians would be wearing Khaki uniforms and marching around parliament in formation to show how much more nationalist they are than the competition.

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.

He was contributing to his students. Canadian troops fighting abroad are helping people abroad too; do we look down on them? What about Canadians volunteering abroad; do we look down on them too? And what about foreigners helping Canada? let's pull our heads out of the middle ages and recognizwe we've grown beyond the nations-state since the telegraph was invented.

There have been four previous Prime Ministers who have had dual citizenship while holding the PM office. John Turner was one of them.

I think there should be a law to prevent a PM from having dual citizenship. I want to know my PM is working for me full time and has my countries interest ,,,full time.
Furthermore, a law addressing this would put this issue to rest once and for all!!

That's just not good enough. I want a law requiring my MP to have been a full-time member of the Canadian Armed Forces, speak both of Canada's official languages fluently, and wear nationalistic clothing such as a Canadian-style paramilitary uniform on the campaign trail and in Parliament at all times. How's that, Mein Herr?

I don't trust politicians but I especially distrust those whose motives/loyalties are so blatantly divided.

Absolutely. I wanna see a litl more Goose-stepping around Parliament Hill.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Not sure where I stand on the matter, but I can definitely say I'd prefer a good PM with a dual citizenship to a ****ty PM with a Cdn. citizenship.

I immigrated here many years ago, and I have renounced my citizenship to the land of my birth, so I'm only Canadian. But I don't have any problems with people who want dual citizenship.

Yea, but you're not bat**** insane.
 
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Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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Not sure where I stand on the matter, but I can definitely say I'd prefer a good PM with a dual citizenship to a ****ty PM with a Cdn. citizenship.

For me it's pretty straight-forward. A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. In the modern world, I can only imagine how many Canadians live abroad and how many foreigners live in Canada, not to mention mixed marriages, Canadians posted abroad for their companies, military, etc. The list just doesn't end. To attack a person for having dual citizenship is a non-issue, ridiculous and quite frankly insulting.

If we have a problem with politicians having dual citizenship, then let's ban dual citizenship for all Canadians seeing that politicians are supposed to represent all Canadians after all. We don't live in the age of the greek City States anymore. I'd hope we've grown beyond that.

I seldom attack politicians at the personal leven I'm about too here, but honestly harper is starting to make me sick to my stomach the way he degrades the level of discussion in Canadian politics. And this is harmful to overall political discussion overall because once it's degraded it can sometimes remain there long after he leaves office.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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May 28, 2007
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I disagree. If anything it makes ze Konservativz seem a litl too nazionalistisch.

To give in to such Konservativ Taktiks would degrade Canadian politics to the point where it would all be about which party looks most uebernazionalistisch. before you know it politicians would be wearing Khaki uniforms and marching around parliament in formation to show how much more nationalist they are than the competition.

I don't really care if they give in or not, but I will not vote for a party whose leader is a dual citizen regardless of platform. Since the consensus is that voters will decide, this voter will (for his 1 vote).

And when your leader crashes and burns due to CPC tactics, please don't come crying about how unfair it is. You elected him as your leader knowing this.