Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said he would renounce his French citizenship, albeit reluctantly, if it becomes an impediment in his quest to become prime minister.
"If it's a problem for a significant number of Canadians and if it's a liability that may keep Mr. Harper in power and prevent us … [from bringing] together more than any other country in the world: economic prosperity, social justice, environmental sustainability, then I will do this sad thing then, to renounce my French citizenship that I received from my mother," Dion told CBC's Peter Mansbridge.
"As everyone, I love my mother, I love everything she gave to me, including that. It's part of me. I don't see why it's a problem."
Congratulations Andy and Ezra. You forced an outstanding Canadian to genuflect before rednecks and white trash. You must be sooo proud!
19 comments:
You obviously know little about our Monarchy. At the time, it was considered okay to be a citizen of our head of state, the Queen of England. It wasn't until the Liberals made our English heritage and affiliation of our Queen something 'dirty'. The Liberals have only had one leader who wasn't from Quebec in 40 years. The drive of the Liberal party is to make Canada 'Little France'. It would be interesting to know Dion's thoughts on our Queen. Modern day Liberals (Chretien) wouldn't even let someone become an English Lord and keep his citizenship of Canada. I think Dion's loyalties are divided and I'd like to know his total involvement with France since he became an MP. L
I think monarchist loonies are the best.
Ya i agree, monarchists are funny, and so far in the past, one can hardy hear them anymore, did'nt John Turner have dual passport??? and my girlfriend is from switzerland, and if we get married, she said I automaticaly get a swiss passport, I would love to see some right wing nut tell me I am not a loyal Canadian....
John Turner had a dual citizenship,one Canadian, one English.Is it going to hurt anyone for Dion to have a dual citezenship, as he is a very loyal Canadian.
This is soooo silly. Having or not having, keeping or rescinding a dual citizenship does not prove or disprove a loyalty to another country.
It's nice to know Dion has such high principles. A few days ago he was proud of his French citizenship and was definitely not going to give it up. Now he realizes that in order to get back the power the Liberals so desperately want, he will give it up. Typical Liberal. Do anything and say anything to retain power. I wonder if Dion's favourite game is Scruples?
Typical Reich-winger. Howl like a hyena over something long enough that sensible people are forced to act just to maintain the peace, and then start howling about "flip-flopping." Howl, howl, howl...
Bud & Ti-guy, the answer is probably no. It's called listening and respecting your nation. You know, Canada, the one he is widely respected for holding together as a Nation through his efforts.
Apparently your favorite game is closet racist because that is what it is when you question a person's motives and devotion based upon their background.
And before you scream, that's not your point. No, that is the POINT and you just don't get it.
His mom was French. He's a good Canadian and has been his entire life.
Have you no decency?
Ti-Guy,
My sincere apologies. I realized my post sounded like I was addressing both of you for the entire message.
My scolding was to Bud - was just responding to both of your posts.
This was never going to be about citizenship, this was about how Liberals reacted to ordinary Canadians who might be sensitive the "dual" citizenship. At first, it was the typical Liberal answer to any question thrown at them, get angry and call the person asking the question names...like un-Canadian..neo-con etc etc, but then when Dion's handlers realized the questions were coming from all over Canada and from all political sides someone came to their senses. Question SSM and your a homophope and a bigot, question Koyoto and your a knuckle-dragging neo-con, have the nerve to question dual citizenship and your a "reich" wing un-Canadian slob!! Problem is...more and more Candians are asking question's and not taking Liberals at their word...its not your answers that will get you back in power...its if you start to respect the people asking the question. It just seems no one has learnt a thing yet.
What a load of crap, Billg. Just because you and a few of your drinking buddies think something is important doesn't mean it's the experience of the "average Canadian." Back it up with solid facts if you expect to be taken seriously. Reich-wing howlers like you create the impression that something is a bigger issue than it is because...well, you can howl and don't seem to have any qualms about making unsubtantiated assertions: 'more and more Canadians are asking question's'...Really? How do you know this?
There is only one coherent position on this; that the "perception" of disloyalty is a meaningful concept. I reject that, because then, we should just declare open season and start witch-hunting everyone (Ted Morton, Ezra Levant, Myron Thompsons...who else now...Elizabeth May...weren't her parents American?).
Or maybe I shouldn't reject it and declare myself witchsmeller pursuivant. I have impeccable credentials...I've lived all over the world and have never acquired another citizenship and don't have any potential claims to foreign citizenship through birthright (unlike a lot Canadians).
Let's hold the inquistion here. Starting with Bud, Billg, and the anonymous monarchist.
billg - "This was never going to be about citizenship"
Oh, dear, what are you a political strategists now?
Another conservative wedge play straight from the Rovian handbook, something like this:
"It's not a real issue, never was, but oh we can spin it for a while, question his loyalty, question his reaction to the questions of loyalty, accuse him of flip-flopping if he considers the matter and offers any inkling of understanding a "possible" concern. We can milk this for weeks."
If it's not about his loyalty or even his citizenship, then it's about nothing at all.
Must ache that Dion's basic response has been that he loves his mother who gave him his dual-citizenship, that he is 100% devoted to Canada (the nation of his birth), and that he would like to understand why it is is an issue (if it is), and that he would give up the dual-citizenship if it would be a barrier to him and his party in leading the nation he loves.
Spin that - but don't get dizzy.
The worst of the neocons give the impression of having deep within their stomach this pit filled with gurgling and festering venom and pus. Lying in wait for the announcement of the Lib leader the built-up must have been excruciating. I believe there was some kind of attacks already prepared in case it's Rae or Ignatieff who wins the leadership race! But then, oops! It's Stephane! What to do? The bathroom? That's not how it works. Can't do this on one's own and in private. It must be a public thing. In comes Levant with the suppository* made specially for the Borg collective. Ah yes! That's just it! Release at last. Aaaaah!
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Suppository: a small solid pill which contains a drug and which is put inside the anus where it dissolves easily. - Additional flourish can be added.
According to the principles of jus sanguines explained here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_sanguinis
a jew would have to renounce Judaism to become PM of Canada....
Should we thus test Levant's loyalty to Canada?
*shhhh* You're not allowed to talk about that. Race-, ethnicity- or religion-based allegations of disloyalty are (this week anyway) only proper if it involves the French (or anything remotely French-like).
If Harper had dual US citizenship the Marxist stooges here would be in highest dudgeon, so cool it. Celine can regain his membership in the 'cafe society' when he bombs out at the next election.
Actually, anon, I don't believe that's the case about Harper. Certainly, the fact that Ted Morton was a U.S./Canadian citizen didn't faze anyone on the progressive side of the fence.
If Harper had dual US citizenship the Marxist stooges here would be in highest dudgeon, so cool it.
I'm not sure. My discomfort with Harper's status as a Republican-lite, Bush-fellating, anti-Canadian, Big Oil 5th column traitor has nothing to do with his citizenship (look up firewall and 'support for Iraq invasion' letters). I sincerely doubt him being a "dual" would elevate my dudgeon at all or lead me to change my mind about where his loyalties lie.
But feel free to make up anything you want. That's what Connies do best, after all.
I love it when these Marxist stooges get their knickers in a knot.
I'm less worried about a Canadian with dual citizenship who demonstrates on a number of occasions his passion and devotion to his native land, than a neo-con who constantly and regularly blurts to american and national audiences alike...
"If you've read any of the official propagandas, you've come over the border and entered a bilingual country. In this particular city, Montreal, you may well get that impression. But this city is extremely atypical of this country... So it's basically an English-speaking country, just as English-speaking as, I would guess, the northern part of the United States."
"In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel bad about it themselves, as long as they're receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance."
"Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it. Canadians make no connection between the fact that they are a Northern European welfare state and the fact that we have very low economic growth, a standard of living substantially lower than yours, a massive brain drain of young professionals to your country, and double the unemployment rate of the United States."
"[Y]our country [the USA], and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world."
"So there you have it. As a religion, bilingualism is the god that failed. It has led to no fairness, produced no unity and cost Canadian taxpayers untold millions."
"Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status, led by a second-world strongman appropriately suited for the task."
"Whether Canada ends up with one national government or two governments or 10 governments, the Canadian people will require less government no matter what the constitutional status or arrangement of any future country may be."
"Continental economic and security integration" with the U.S. as well as a "continental energy strategy" that should be broadened "to a range of other natural resources."
"You have to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from Eastern Canada; people who live in ghettos and are not integrated into Western Canadian society."
-- Oh and Budd, you refering to the principles that put a bag-hack into the senate and cabinet and withdrew a tax cut? That calmed seniors that their trusts were secure and then -Boo! on halloween pulled the rug out on them? The kind of scruples that consistently plays dirty tricks like leaking lies to the press, circulating faux buttons as 'faux liberals' and then tries to convince us that their mission to eradicate ssm is 'done for good'? Yah, and i've got shares in enron i can sell you, you moron.
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