So Stephane Dion is 50% Canadian

[Tonington]

I fail to see how it's childish, unless you mean the assuming nature people take because his mother is French.

You definitely would need earplugs if Harper were a dual citizen. Again, it would be unfounded, unless someone could make a direct link where Harper's actions reflected that fact. Regardless of whethor or not one could find the connection, Canada and US relations are so intertwined, much more than Canadian-French relations, and the fact that Harper and Bush hail from the same side of the political spectrum, that it could be purely circumstantial, but I doubt the Harper haters would see that.

 

[#juan]

Before you go off on another tangent Bear, Dion's dual citizenship was automatic,though he was born here, simply because his mother was French. Dion says he doesn't have a French passport. Should he say he's not related to his mother?

 

[CDNBear]

Before you go off on another tangent Bear, Dion's dual citizenship was automatic,though he was born here, simply because his mother was French. Dion says he doesn't have a French passport. Should he say he's not related to his mother?

Well we being civil, albeit silly.

I realize that it was automatic, but he should denounce it. He had the chance today to at least defuse the situation, but instead he defended it, arrogantly at that.

That is what I find disturbing.

There's an agenda at foot here. I'm gettin my tinfoil hat!

 

[MMMike]

The whole dual citizenship issue is wrong, you are or you are not a Canadian citizen, period.

Especially a PM, c'mon, that's gotta be a no brianer?

I would rather him own CSL then hold two passports.

It is a no brainer. And I agree, dual citizenship should not be allowed. It was just a sop from the Liberals to buy the 'ethnic' vote anyways.

 

[Toro]

Let me get this straight.

A Canadian cannot sit in the British House of Lords but a Frenchman can be Prime Minister of Canada?

When Tom Long was running for leader of the Alliance, the Ottawa press corp made a big deal about the fact that if he was a dual American citizen because, I believe, his mother was born in the US.

If Harper was an American, then the Left would go bananas.

This will cost Dion votes. Maybe not many, but probably enough to make a difference.

 

[Sassylassie]

Stop with the common sense Toro, I spit my hot chocolate all over me monitor. Now I have to find Windex to clean the mess "You" made, damn you to everlasting hell you cow or is that bull?:wave:

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

I was born in England and came to Canada when I was 6. I defy anyone to find a more patriotic Canuck. Just because someone was not actaully born here or their parents weren't does not make their patriotism suspect. Thinking so borders of discrimination. Except for natives (and if you go really really far back neither them as well) we are all immigrants to this country. Smuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[thecdn]

I was born in England and came to Canada when I was 6. I defy anyone to find a more patriotic Canuck. Just because someone was not actaully born here or their parents weren't does not make their patriotism suspect.

Exactly. A baby doesn't have a say in where it's born. But a person does have a choice in where they want to live and which country they chose to become a citizen of.

Why should some stupid, lazy, slacker be qualified to be PM by the accident of being born in Canada while a brilliant, passionate, highly qualified immigrant who has been a citizen for x number of years isn't?

 

[#juan]

I think, the prime Minister of this country, or anyone aspiring to hold that job, should first and formost, be a Canadian. I also think he or she should be born in this country. Stephane Dion fills the bill. It is completely irrelevant that his mother was French, Eithiopian, or whatever. The French citizenship was there if he needed it but he has never used it. He says he doesn't have a French passport, but a Canadian one. Why is there a problem.?

 

[snowles]

If this is the opening salvo the right wing is trying to throw out there to bring down Stephane Dion, it is a ridiculously weak one.

 

[Colpy]

If this is the opening salvo the right wing is trying to throw out there to bring down Stephane Dion, it is a ridiculously weak one.

Look, I really don't care if Dion's mother was from France, especially if he holds no French passport, and his dual citizenship was automatically granted. I think we should probably eliminate dual citizenships, but for now they are completely legitimate.

But if you want to talk about dishonest attempts to bring down political leaders with silly and inconsequental accusations, the Liberals in this country have that particular tactic down to a fine art.........

 

[McDonald]

I wasn't born here either. I was born in Germany and got my Canadian citizenship from my Canadian father. It doesn't change the fact that I am a proud Canadian. And don't call Dion a Frenchman. He was born here, raised here, has chosen to stay here, and has ensured already even as a cabinet minister the security of our national unity for years to come by having written the Clarity Act. So save it, please. If I were elected leader of a party, I wouldn't give up my U.S. passport that I got from my American mother... it doesn't make me less Canadian or even loyal to teh U.S... it just makes things easier at the border. Plain and simple.

 

[mabudon]

You know, the funy thing about all the screaming is that all Dion has to do is, IF he starts a run for PM, renounce his French citizenship... if the dual citizenship is all the mud folks can sling at him, then they truly do have nothing to say about anything at that point- I can already hear the crickets (and see the Sun "TRAITOR" headline- the right wing mouthpieces will no doubt go after him with "He Turned his back on his 'home country', what if he turns on CANADA??" which dumb as it sounds is pretty much the same as what's happening in this very thread )

Whereas Harper is gonna have to explain a WHOLE LOT of stuff that ACTUALLY HAPPENED in order to take the tarnish off of him and his party- if citizenship is the whole problem, you think that the rest of the Liberal party will allow him to ruin any chance of election with such a trivial issue?? Anyone who thinks that is stupid, plain and simple

 

[Colpy]

You know, the funy thing about all the screaming is that all Dion has to do is, IF he starts a run for PM, renounce his French citizenship... if the dual citizenship is all the mud folks can sling at him, then they truly do have nothing to say about anything at that point- I can already hear the crickets (and see the Sun "TRAITOR" headline- the right wing mouthpieces will no doubt go after him with "He Turned his back on his 'home country', what if he turns on CANADA??" which dumb as it sounds is pretty much the same as what's happening in this very thread )

Whereas Harper is gonna have to explain a WHOLE LOT of stuff that ACTUALLY HAPPENED in order to take the tarnish off of him and his party- if citizenship is the whole problem, you think that the rest of the Liberal party will allow him to ruin any chance of election with such a trivial issue?? Anyone who thinks that is stupid, plain and simple

Oh, spare me the Bull****!

I've already said I don't care about Dion's citizenship, and this tempest in a teapot will blow over in a couple of weeks.

AND, compared to the Liberal government that Dion was a part of, the Harper gov't has so very little to answer for.

Perhaps you would care to expand on that issue? Or is this just another baseless smear attempt by a Liberal?

 

[mabudon]

I dunno, the phony 5 points, which have been watered down or disappeared altogether, the extension of commitment to an abject failure in Afghanistan (resulst still pending but you wait, it will be as I have foreseen) ummm.... accountability- he doesn't seem to have ANY, and we'll see what kind of fallout there is from the Arar case...

OH and good job calling me a "Liberal"- is that another word for "genius" now, or do you suggest I vote that way or support that party??

 

[Colpy]

I dunno, the phony 5 points, which have been watered down or disappeared altogether, the extension of commitment to an abject failure in Afghanistan (resulst still pending but you wait, it will be as I have foreseen) ummm.... accountability- he doesn't seem to have ANY, and we'll see what kind of fallout there is from the Arar case...

OH and good job calling me a "Liberal"- is that another word for "genius" now, or do you suggest I vote that way or support that party??

The extension was of a Liberal commitment, and I agree it could be a failure.......thanks to the cowardice of our NATO "allies" (except the US and UK). You can only partly blame that on Harper.

The Accountability Act is being held up in the Senate by........the Liberal majority.

The Arar case took place entirely under a Liberal government. Any fallout should irradiate THEM, not the Conservatives.......

No, it is definitely not another word for genius........, and the accusation was in the form of a question, not a statement of fact. If you are NOT a Liberal, I apologize.......that sort of insult should not be dealt out casually.

 

[Zzarchov]

How about he show some moral character?

Being a citizen of a country isn't just a bunch of free rights and extra passport. Its a set of responsibilities to your country, and a moral obligation towards better it. Now, don't get me wrong, you may think bettering your country involves overthrowing its government and installing a cukoo tinpot as leader..but the point is, you do what you can , to make your country a better place.

So when he says he has no obligations or loyalty to France (100% goes to Canada as he said), then why does he keep his French citizenship? If he doesn't hold his French citizenship in any regard at all (yet still keeps it) then what makes us think he magically respects his Canadian citizenship any more so?

If 100% of your loyalty goes to one country that should be 100% of your citizenship, if he wants to remain a French citizen then they deserve 50% of his loyalty.

 

[CDNBear]

I think, the prime Minister of this country, or anyone aspiring to hold that job, should first and formost, be a Canadian. I also think he or she should be born in this country. Stephane Dion fills the bill. It is completely irrelevant that his mother was French, Eithiopian, or whatever. The French citizenship was there if he needed it but he has never used it. He says he doesn't have a French passport, but a Canadian one. Why is there a problem.?

Wrong, he lived in France while he attended school.

 

[#juan]

Wrong, he lived in France while he attended school.

Just like French students lived in Canada while studying at McGill. He didn't need his French citizenship to study in France. He didn't even have to apply for it.

 

[CDNBear]

Just like French students lived in Canada while studying at McGill. He didn't need his French citizenship to study in France. He didn't even have to apply for it.

That's why I didn't say he did. But seeing as he is a true Canadian, and you seem to think you're an expert on what that is, why weren't Canadian schools good enough for him?

I just love the hypocracy amungst you guys though.

I would bet the farm that you would be sqeeling if Harper had dual citizenship in the US.