In June this year I became a Canadian citizen and willfully allowed my citizenship of birth to lapse. My loyalty and commitment only lies with the country that I chose to immigrate to and am proud to call home.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, on the other hand, actively sought French citizenship as an adult (CBC News, January 17, 2012). Allegedly the only reason he did so was to prevent being separated from his wife and children at immigration when traveling.
My spouse and I have travelled the world on differing passports, and the only separation we have ever encountered is standing in different passport queues at the port of entry. Neither of us suffering from long term separation anxiety disorder as a result!
Ironically, Mulcair’s wife also has Canadian and French citizenships (CBC News, January 17, 2012), so why don’t they just both travel as Canadians?
In 2012, Mulcair said he would not renounce the citizenship, but has now flip-flopped to say that he will renounce it, but only if he becomes prime minister (The Province, August 1, 2015). This man swore an oath of life long allegiance to France, which he is now happy to break. This is morally problematic.
In 2006, Jack Layton said that a party leader should “hold only Canadian citizenship,” when the then-Liberal leader Stephane Dion held dual Canadian-French citizenship. (CBC News, January 17, 2012).
If Mulcair is so adamant in retaining his French citizenship and feels such loyalty to France, perhaps he should renounce his Canadian citizenship instead and live in France?
What a sad state of affairs when a recent immigrant to Canada shows less divided allegiance and loyalty to this great country, than the man who wants to be the future prime minister.
Mark MaraisErrington