Why is it OK for a potential Canadian PM also to be French?

When it was not OK for the Governor General designate? I would think dual citizenship is a rather more important issue in the case of a possible head of government than in the case of the representative of a symbolic head of state. Ezra Levant asks the questions.

Stephane Dion is the new leader of the Liberal Party. And he is a citizen of France.

Imagine the shrieks from the media if the Conservatives were to elect a leader who is a dual citizen of the U.S. He would be called a U.S. poodle at best or a spy at worst. Every time he opined on a subject, it would be scrutinized through the lens of Canada-U.S. relations. Everything from military spending to foreign treaties like Kyoto would be looked at through the question: Was the Prime Minister of Canada truly pursuing Canadian interests, or was his loyalty to his other homeland at play?

Even Michael Ignatieff, the second-place finisher in the Liberal contest, never took U.S. citizenship despite 30 years living there. It was chutzpah that Ignatieff, a de facto American, returned to Canada to lead us. But at least he had the sense to remain a Canadian, at least legally.

So what is Dion's excuse? The man wasn't born abroad, as was our other leading dual-citizen, Michaelle Jean. And at least Jean had the taste to renounce her French citizenship (after public outcry) upon acceding to the post of governor general. But Dion was born right here in Canada. Yet he is a dual citizen of France...

Here's what Dion said about the matter, on a rare occasion that he was pressed: "Multiple identities should be seen as an asset, not a threat," he said.

"There is nothing wrong with multiple identities. The hearts of people are big enough to accept different identities. Canadian citizenship will give me my rights. Identity is the way I feel about the country." No talk of loyalty or obligation, not talk of duties.

Because Dion was never considered a serious challenger, his statements like this have escaped scrutiny by the media, and by the Conservatives...

Maybe M. Dion just wants to belong to a real nation! But he is not fit to serve as PM (indeed not as Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, I would argue) if he keeps his French nationality.

Mark C.

Update: Unlike the GG, M. Dion did not actively apply for French nationality:

Mr. Dion's mother, Denyse, was a real-estate agent. Born in Paris, she gave her children their dual citizenship; Léon Dion would joke he was the only one in the household to be solely Canadian.

(Mr. Dion does not have a French passport and has not voted in a French election, his staff says.)..

Nonetheless, he should renounce French citizenship (h/t to my wife who Googled better, independently of me).

Upperdate: A very fair cop, porky by Ezra:

Comment by Josh:

Oy, Ezra. For the millionth time, Ignatieff did *not* spend thirty years in the US. He spent most of that time in the UK. If you're going to accuse him of not being Canadian, the most appropriate alternative is to call him British.

In which case he might be one of the last true English Canadians. This nation stuff sure is getting furiously complicated.

Posted by markc at December 4, 2006 04:55 PM