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Monday, December 04, 2006
Dion the dual citizen
How do you think the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and CBC would react if Stephen Harper were discovered to be a loyal citizen of the United States?
Probably a little bit more vigorously than how they've responded to the fact that Stephane Dion is a loyal citizen of France.
Here's my column -- what do you think of it?
Posted by Ezra Levant on December 4, 2006 | Permalink
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Comments
Correct me if I'm wrong but Ted Morton is also a dual citizen - U.S./Canada. How is this any different?
Posted by: calgary clipper | 2006-12-04 4:45:22 PM
Dion is a citizen of France.
Dion is silent about this genocide in Rwanda.
Up to 800,000 Rwandans were slaughtered, with the machete being the weapon of choice, over a period of 100 days.
Why is Dion silent about this genocide?
...-
Rwanda President says France implicated in genocide
Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Saturday repeated accusations
that France was implicated in his country's 1994 genocide ...
news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061125/wl_nm/rwanda_president_france_dc
Posted by: maz2 | 2006-12-04 4:47:36 PM
Are you serious?
Posted by: Winston | 2006-12-04 5:18:09 PM
Actually, I didn't know that Morton was a dual citizen. I really don't think that anybody should achieve political power in Canada while a citizen of anywhere else, be it France or the US, or GB, or wherever.
You cannot serve two masters, and eventually, events will conspire to make either Mr. Morton or Mr Dion decide who they serve.
Mr Dion's rejoinder about how it is perfectly all right to be a dual citizen is a case of arrogance trumping reason. I strongly believe that the Libs gave us all a great gift by electing him leader. thank you Liberal party of Canada.
Posted by: DCM | 2006-12-04 5:24:41 PM
Is this conjecture about Morton ? Just because he was born in the U.S., doesn't necessarily mean he's still a U.S. citizen. However, being Prime Minister of the country and Premier of a province is still a different ballgame.
Posted by: MarkAlta | 2006-12-04 5:31:43 PM
Liberal bloggers are going nuts that Ezra would even question this.
I’ve had a green card twice but tended to procrastinate and never got duel citizenship in the USA. Also, I always had in the back of my mind, if I ever were to be involved in elected office in Canada how would this be perceived? My answer always would have been that I’ve lived and worked in 4 different US States and owned property and investments there so it makes sense to have citizenship and be allowed to vote.
So to question Dion is legitimate. Possibly being a citizen of France is as legitimate for him as it would have been for me in the uS. But we can certainly ask .. Why?
Furthermore to question it in the context of:
Do Dion (and Pettigrew and how many others in the Liberal Party) really see this as part of their transnational mentality versus solid Canadian sovereignty?
It’s that sort of thinking that would bother me most and I’d like to flush it out. Dion may have an answer for it. But we’re entitled to ask.
Posted by: nomdenet | 2006-12-04 5:34:26 PM
Unlike the GG, M. Dion did not actively apply for French nationality:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060901.wdion/BNStory/National/?pageRequested=all
"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.
And, Ezra, Mickey I. did not spend thirty years in the US. Mostly in England, in which case he might be one of the last true English Canadians. This nation stuff sure is getting furiously complicated.
Mark
Ottawa
Posted by: Mark Collins | 2006-12-04 6:09:01 PM
Thanks for the column, Ezra. By bringing this issue up yesterday, on another thread at the Shotgun, someone accused me of libel.
Go figure.
It's a legitimate question and it needs to be asked. Is Dion a dual citizen of Canada and France? If Dion has either activated his French citizenship or has the potential to do so, he needs to renounce it. His loyalties are confused and compromised if he is not solely a citizen of Canada.
This issue should be dealt with right away. The GG had to renounce her French citizenship in order to be sworn in, and so should Dion now that he is the leader of one of Canada's political parties with the potential that he might one day become a Prime Minister of Canada.
This is not a complicated situation. Trust the Libs to go ape, when all we're asking makes plain common sense.
Oh yeah, I forgot. The Liberals don't deal in common sense.
Posted by: 'been around the block | 2006-12-04 6:13:10 PM
Ezra,
You're nit-picking.
The guy is a French citizen by birthright, through his mother, just as hundreds of thousands of other Canadians are citizens by birth of various countries.
Most countries don't recognize the right of their citizens to renounce the citizenship they were born with - thus, for example, our recent difficulties with China and Iran. Did you check to see what France's rules are? Yes, the G.G. was able to renounce her French citizenship, but it was a status acquired through marriage - not her birthright. How about you do a little journalistic checking on this and get back to us?
Posted by: Zog | 2006-12-04 6:22:56 PM
Unbelieveable. The Conservative hacks are jumping on this on like a fat lady on a fudge sundae. But you're all being hysterical for no good reason. Here are the facts people: Dion is a born and raised Canadian. His mother was born in France. He has not actively sought out foreign citizenship. So yes, like the millions of other first-generation Canadian citizens whose parent or parents come from some other land, Dion could theoretically take out another passport. I find how certain Conservatives are villifying this man because of the sole fact his mother was a dual French/Canadian citizen quite repugnant. If he actively sought out to exercise his latent French citizenship, then he should renounce it. But there is no evidence of this. All the facts seem to suggest that Dion is a born and raised Canadian citizen who simply happens to have had a mother who was a dual citizen. Period. Talk about a non-issue. How many MPs have immigrant parents? If you guys are going to start a Dion citizenship witchhunt, then be fair and go after everyone in Parliament, on both sides of Mr. Speaker.
I find it particularly amusing that by openly criticising Dion on these grounds Conservatives are tacitly admitting the Liberals have a good chance of regaining power.
And yes the Western Standard's beloved Ted Morton is in fact a born and raised US citizen who acquired Canadian citizenship in the 1990s. He has not recounced his US citizenship. I certainly heard no battlecries from conservatives in Alberta for him to do so. Stunning. I would have surely thought they'd have been all over that.
Posted by: Dion for PM | 2006-12-04 6:37:47 PM
Waaaal, Ezra, you know, da dual citizenship is da dual citizenship . . .
Posted by: Meg Q | 2006-12-04 6:51:26 PM
Dion for PM,
Before you get all condescending on conservatives questioning Dion's citizenship status, it may interest you to learn that tonight on Michael Coren, Carolyn Parrish herself questioned anyone with dual citizenship in parliament.
Additionally, if the dual US/Canadian citizen Morton were to find himself leader of the federal conservatives, where would you stand on this issue then?
Posted by: h2o273kk9 | 2006-12-04 7:15:57 PM
Zog - neither Zahra Kazemi nor Huseyin Celil attempted to renounce citizenship in their countries of origin. The problem is not that Iran and China won't allow people to renounce their citizenship, the problem is that they do not recognize dual citizenship, so as long as someone has not renounced their native citizenship they are sewered.
Posted by: Greg R | 2006-12-04 8:19:38 PM
Ezra proves, once again, that you can take that hack out partisan politics, but you can't partisan politics out of the hack.
The fact is that all the fuss over dual citizenship has come almost entirely from the loonie right, which has used the issue to question its opponents' loyalty.
Which exactly what Ezra descends to here:
When it comes to making decisions about the war on terror, and Canada's role in Afghanistan, will Dion be unduly influenced by France, a country that has taken up the role of lawyer and arms dealer for every terrorist state in the world, even defending Saddam Hussein until the eve of his overthrow?
It's a disgraceful bit of rhetoric, as poisonous to civil society as the suggestion the JFK was beholden to the Vatican or that Jewish politicians will favour Israel over domestic interests. Or, for that matter, the idiotic suggestion that any opposition to Little Stevie Firewall is tantamount to treason. But it's par for the course for Ezra. And for the usual gang of loons who gather here to foam at the mouth.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-12-04 8:32:28 PM
Well, I dont know about Dion and France...but what's the excuse for Harper and the US ?
Posted by: Marc | 2006-12-04 8:44:15 PM
What's next -- citizen of Iran and running for PM?
I think Dion's French citizenship IS an issue -- not so much that he has been a French citizen, but it is an issue if he refuses to renounce it. It has to do with avoiding the "appearance" of potential disloyalty -- its the same when politicians have to avoid the "appearance" of conflict of interest, or the "appearance" of corruption. That is an accepted principle for those holding public office. However, it does look like the the MSM is NOT interested in this issue, so I guess that's the end of it.
Posted by: Linda | 2006-12-04 10:08:31 PM
Wrong, Greg R.
Whether or not Khazemi or Celil chose to renounce their citizenships is irrelevant. Iran and China, and a lot of other countries, simply don't accept renunciations. To be sure, Khazemi did still have an Iranian passport but, even without one, she would have been Iranian, according to Iranian law.
I doubt that Celil ever had a Chinese passport in his life and, being a wanted man in China, I hardly think that he hustled to the Chinese Embassy to apply for one.
And yes, you can be a dual citizen without having a passport of any kind; it's something that just happens to you. If one's citizenship happens to be U.S. or Canadian - yes, you can renounce, but not if you are, for example, Russian or a Swiss male.
My challenge to Ezra to check French law and get back to us with the outcome still stands.
If one wants a convenient rock to throw at Dion, a much more valid one than making silly aspersions on his loyalty to Canada, is that he is a dedicated Suzukian. He would cheerfully employ an economic scorched earth policy in Canada in futile efforts to control global climate.
Posted by: Zog | 2006-12-04 10:18:33 PM
First of all,the clearer thinking conservatives I recognize on this site are doing no more than I am.... asking a valid question.
Partisanship has no place in this discussion.
If Harper was determined to have duel-citizenship with ANY other country,I would be asking the same question.
Is it proper for someone seeking to become the Prime Minister of Canada to hold citizenship in another country?
I say no.They MUST be loyal to Canada and only Canada.The chance of conflict of interst is to great to risk.But then what do I know...I'm just a stupid conservative.
Funny I don't remember the liberal toadies comimg out of the woodwork to defend the GG when she was caught in the same circumstance.Everyone seemed satisfied she made the correct decision.
The fact remains,if it were a conservative in question here,the left would be tripping over themselves to attack.But then hypocrites go to great lengths to avoid perspective,don't they?
Posted by: Canadian Observer | 2006-12-04 10:23:25 PM
You want Ezra to do RESEARCH? To actually try to sort out FACTS?
Good luck.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-12-04 10:24:50 PM
To renounce dual citizenship on the eve of assuming power or acceding to higher office shows at least a lack of true dedication or commitment, whether the post be that of Prime Minister, Premier or Governor General. It is like they need a fall-back position in case it doesn't work out.
Same thing goes for Adrienne Clarkson, who got married just before becoming GG, after so many years of living common-law with JR Saul. I have nothing against that type of arrangement (common-law partnership); it is a choice people make, and I am certain that Clarkson and Saul had reason enough to choose that type of life-style. But in her case it looked quite like a marriage of convenience...
Posted by: Nothing New Under the Sun | 2006-12-04 10:27:44 PM
CO,
Valid question my ass.
Like all the other intellectually dishonest clowns here, you begin by predicting what your political opponents would do. And yet there have been many politicians in this country who have held dual citizenship, serving at a variety of levels of government, in a variety of parties, and it's never been an issue until you right-wing loons raised it.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-12-04 10:36:22 PM
truewest,
Did you choose to become a bigoted asshole or did it happen accidently like dual citizenship?
Posted by: Zog | 2006-12-04 10:42:28 PM
Zog,
He may have a valid point.
I think in the spirit of fairness I'll pop over to a few liberal blogs and call everyone there a dishonest asshole for daring to have a different opinion than me.
And if I find they've said ANYTHING AT ALL bad about Harper....I'll call them hypocritical dishonest assholes.
Gee,I've never got to play troll before...
Posted by: Canadian Observer | 2006-12-04 11:02:51 PM
It doesn't matter if Dion is a dual citizen or not.
The mere fact that he is Liebral leader makes him a direct threat to the people of Alberta - as he proved beyond a doubt in his speech today.
If he is elected, and makes a move against Alberta in anyway, then ALberta has the right and the obligation to secede. No more NEPs!!!
When we are free, then we should put a clause in the Republic of Alberta Constitution forbidding dual citizenship with Canada.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2006-12-04 11:31:41 PM
CO/Zog
Yeah, posters on the Shotgun sure have a lock on the moral high ground when it comes namecalling. And did I call you an asshole? No. Because an asshole is actual serves a function in the body (or in the body politic). Had I chosen to descend into that line of invective, I would have employed terms like boil, or pimple, or cancer. But let's not go there...
You don't like being accused of intellectual dishonesty? Then try to avoid intellectually dishonest gambits, like justifying low-road tactics by saying that its okay because the other side would do it. (Although they never have.) To suggest that someone is a security risk because they inherited another citizenship - or, in the case of Morton, retained it - is asinine, especially in a country that let British citizens vote in our elections for the better part of a century. And to suggest that Dion, who has flown the federalist flag in Quebec and taken plenty of shots for it, might favour the country of his mother over the country of his birth is so goofy it could only arise in the netherworld where partisan reflex stands in for rational thought.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-12-05 12:00:27 AM
truewest,
Too bad that you're illiterate or you would have noticed that this conservative was DEFENDING Dion's Canadian credentials.
O.K., I shouldn't have called you an asshole but,
since you equate conservatives with intellectually dishonest "loons",I stand by my diagnosis that you're a f...ing bigot.
Posted by: Zog | 2006-12-05 12:27:28 AM
What an entirely ridiculous article:
Let's sum up once and for all:
1) Dion was born and raised in Canada
2) Dion does NOT hold a French Passport
3) Dion has NEVER voted in a French election
4) Dion has NEVER applied to be a French citizen
5) Dion's French citizenship was received passively at birth by virtue of the fact that his mother was born in France.
6) Dion may not even be able to give up his citizenship as it was a birthright (Ezra didn't bother to look into this).
On this basis we are supposed to be worried that Dion -- who has been perhaps the strongest advocate for a united Canada -- has divided loyalties with France?
In fact, Karol goes so far as to suggest that this might indicate that "Dion is some kind of a spy with different identity (set of documents) for every country he lives in, basically French provocateur living in Quebec and disguised as staunch Canadian federalist."
Take off the tinfoil people. This is a partisan smear with no substance.
I also find it interesting that Ezra didn't bring this up with reference to the dual citizen Ted Morton (who DID actively seek out citizenship in Canada, and who did NOT renounce his US citizenship). Perhaps this is evidence that Ted Morton some kind of a spy with different identity (set of documents) for every country he lives in, basically Big US Oil Lobbyist living in Alberta and disguised as staunch Conservative Politician in order to keep Oil flowing south of the border at a cheap price.
Riiiiggghhhhht.
Posted by: bob | 2006-12-05 1:28:27 AM
My Dad was Born in Spain. Does that mean I'm a Spanish citizen? Or course not, I was born in Canada. I cannot vote in Spain. I have no passport, no papers nothing... but if I wanted to I could get them easily. As could Mr. Dion in France.
As is his birthright.
Ezra proves his lunacy again.
Posted by: Chris Alemany | 2006-12-05 1:34:12 AM
As a dual citizen, I must protest!
Us duals are clearly worth twice as much as you simpletons.
It is our natural right to vote in two countries' elections, fight in two different armies, and, best of all, to govern you simpletons by becoming PM.
Posted by: Johan i Kanada | 2006-12-05 2:54:36 AM
Zog wrote: Whether or not Khazemi or Celil chose to renounce their citizenships is irrelevant. Iran and China, and a lot of other countries, simply don't accept renunciations.
In regards to China (PRC) they do not allow dual nationality. Once a Chinese citizen takes out foreign citizenship, they automatically lose their Chinese citizenship.
Posted by: No Spin Zone | 2006-12-05 5:42:49 AM
First there was Taliban Jack Layton/NDP.
Now, it's Taliban Stephane Dion/Liberal.
Both now in collusion with the Taliban propaganda machine/MSM.
It's a tag-team; not to wonder; both are socialists.
Is Dion a French socialist, or, a Canadian socialist? Meme chose/same thing.
...-
TROOPS BATTLE TALIBAN PROPAGANDA
It's not just heavily armed insurgents and suicide bombers Canadian troops are battling here -- it's also the Taliban propaganda machine.
DION 'NOT COMMITTED' TO AFGHAN ROLE
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has told
a key caucus member
that he's "not committed" to the Conservative decision
to keep Canada's troops in Afghanistan
for another two years, setting the stage for a renewed debate about Ottawa's role in the troubled country. (national newswatch)
Posted by: maz2 | 2006-12-05 5:53:26 AM
To the idea that Stephane Dion should renounce his French citizenship, the proper response is blow it out your nose.
I am perfectly fine with Dion's having dual citizenship, and do not see him as being any less loyal for it. And I don't see why he should have anything to prove to a list full of far right whack jobs and a nerd like Ezzy. Dion spent a decade fighting to clean up the mess Conservatives made last time you people were in power. What right do they have to question him, and expect a response?
Posted by: bigcitylib | 2006-12-05 6:57:10 AM
bigcitylib,
About the same as anyone has the right to question a far left whackjob like you, who overlooks the fact the "conservatives" inherited the mess from Trudeau, and have now inherited a complete scandal ridden mess perpetrated over past two decades of liberal government which included your new found ringleader dion.
Although your support is admiral, one has to question the sanity of anyone who can support this clown act in the face of massive corruption, and a party who has absolutely lost any sense of direction.
It belays any common sense and proves a general distain for your country and its well being. Personally I find that repugnant.
Posted by: deepblue | 2006-12-05 7:23:28 AM
deepblue,
Mulroney had two terms to fix the deficit and failed. Chretien stepped in now we are swimming in surplus money. Conservatives lost the issue of fiscal responsibility long ago. Now you've apparently become the party of fake patriotism.
Posted by: bigcitylib | 2006-12-05 7:35:46 AM
truewest, the minute you fall back on the last resort of a scoundrel, which is to name-call and ad hominem those with whom you disagree, you lose the argument. I don't know the name of this "law" of discourse, but it is so.
I'd like to go on and say what that makes you, but I don't resort to ad hominems. I try to let my arguments speak for themselves.
Why don't you try it? It's a little more demanding of the grey matter, and you have to demonstrate some self-control and self-discipline, but it does make for a more civilized debate, something I'm SURE you'd like to engage in. N'est-ce pas?
Posted by: 'been around the block | 2006-12-05 7:42:06 AM
Surplus money?
This country is 600 billion dollars in debt. The cost of servicing that debt is more than we now spend on health care.
Almost a third of our budget. Now I know the lib's were able to overtax us all, throw it in general revenue and scream about how good we have it. And I also know there is a sucker like you born every day.
The libs love useful idiots like you, they need you to survive.
But any clear thinking person knows it was nothing but a snow job, like most Liberal policies.
Posted by: deepblue | 2006-12-05 7:47:56 AM
By the way, I guess when your "swimming" in money it is perfectly acceptable to steal it for yourselves right?
Apparently in your world. but then anyone who supports these moron's do not live in the real world.
Posted by: deepblue | 2006-12-05 7:52:28 AM
I see many names that I never heard of before. Is it a troll attack?
Personnaly, I have nothing against Dion as a man. Concerning his politics, the main questionable item is his opinion about Kyoto. I like Kyoto the city which was the imperial capital I believe. But the whole treaty is a mess and has no real efficiency.
In 1815, a huge volcano in the Pacific erupted and put into the atmosphere more dust than all the industrial civilization put since its beginning in England in 1850. This is an indication that we don't have much influence over that aspect of our planet. Phyloplancton are part of a self regulating mechanism and it grows more if needed in order to create more clouds and cool off the planet if needed.
Of course, we should watch for pollution by not damaging our environment. But we don't need Kyoto to do that.
I think that he should renounce his French citizenship if he is a responsible man in order to stop all this bickering.
Posted by: Rémi Houle | 2006-12-05 7:53:50 AM
Agree deepblue, the only “ mess the Libs cleaned up” during 13 years of Chrétien reign was the Clarity Act. But Harper/Manning drafted even that.
The Liberals and Martin balancing the budget was a myth. Liberals and the MSM fought Mulroney/Wilson every inch of the way as they tried to confront the deficit.
Other factors fell nicely into place to balance off the Trudeau entitlement deficit of $42 billion when the Liberals took over in 1993:
- Interest rates gradually dropped by 10% (remember your 14% mortagage rate in the early 1990’s?) on the $600 billion debt. That’s $60 billion saved right there. The dropping of interest rates was a global central banker phenomenon, nothing to do with Martin the Finance Minister.
- GST now collects $50 billion a year (the Liberals were against GST)
- NAFTA created the most powerful trade relationship between 2 countries the world has ever seen creating jobs and profits and tax revenues for Ottawa (the Liberals were against NAFTA)
- Health Care transfers were slashed and Mike Harris and Provincial Premiers were wrongly blamed for shortfalls.
The Liberal Party, other than downloading the problem to the Provinces, did nothing to cut costs in Ottawa.
Posted by: nomdenet | 2006-12-05 7:55:10 AM
Nomdenet,
Mulroney left us with a 40 bill plus per year deficit. Chretien fixed it. That's the bottom line. You are merely rationalizing the failure of a Conservative administration.
Posted by: bigcitylib | 2006-12-05 8:00:33 AM
Remi,
It's not a troll attack. Its normal, decent Canadian folk calling out Ezzy and his gang of Western Standard minions for engaging in one of the stupidest, lowest hack attacks I've seen recently in Canadian politics. You think Conservatives can beat this guy by calling him a French agent? That's both sick and desperate.
Posted by: bigcitylib | 2006-12-05 8:04:01 AM
nondenet,
These people are so blinded by ideology they fail to grasp even the simplest facts you have laid out.
Its almost comical that right out of the gate dion is screaming about how the Harper tax cuts are ruining the country, and didn't the libs fight the dropping of even 1% of the GST?
Only the libs could be charging a 50% tax rate in a country that has almost no military, crumbling social programs, no plan to pay down the debt, and yet people like this have bought the lie.
On top of that they got caught red handed actually stealing tax payers dollar's, and I believe only the tip of the iceberg has been uncovered.
You can put all the bright red lipstick on a pig you want, or in this case dinosaur, but in the end, you still have the same old pig/dinosaur.
Even the simplest person can figure that out. You would think.
Posted by: deepblue | 2006-12-05 8:21:41 AM
No BCL, the bottom line is that the Mulroney era had collective operating surpluses (before interest rates on Trudeau's debt) but the Liberal MSM propaganda machine will never tell you that.
The deficit was created when the world’s central bankers agreed to jack interest rates to kill inflation. Then the debt created by Trudeau suddenly had very high interest carrying costs as I outlined above and that pushed us into massive deficits. Ironically as soon as the Libs took over, inflation was tamed, the pain endured by Canadians paid off and interest rates dropped and Martin looked like a hero. However, the Mulroney policies on inflation, GST and NAFTA are the untold story of what made Martin look good.
Furthermore, Martin never had the cajones to deal with it; the unwritten story is that Wall St came to Ottawa and read them the riot act. Told them they were going to send in the IMF and take gold for security like they did in England before Thatcher took over.
The surprise that everyone had about Martin being a sure-footed Finance Minister suddenly turning into a deer in the headlights should have been no surprise at all. He’s done nothing. He didn’t even run his CSL gift from Desmarais, professional Managers like Sam Hayes did that.
Thanks to blogs we can pop the myth bubble of the Chrétien/Martin years.I mean, when you think about it, how on earth could socialists tame a deficit? That’s illogical.
Posted by: nomdenet | 2006-12-05 8:28:21 AM
"normal, decent Canadian folk",
that obviously have no problem supporting a party of in your face thieves? Some that are in jail, and certainly some that should be.
Once again you show your true character by supporting these clowns, you have a perfect right to debate the merits of the dion attack, but you lose all credibility by screaming about how good and decent the libs are, in the face of clear and undisputable facts.
Posted by: deepblue | 2006-12-05 8:28:48 AM
Well, it is sort of like this. If Dion has dual citizenship, he should end it right here. Simple as that. And I don't know if he does.
As far as the Liberals go. Trudeau screwed this country royally, in between Mulroney didn't help it, then Chretien/Martin over taxed the Canadian public to make it look like they were helping us, and promptly stole money to rig elections and pay off friends. All the time Dion was a sitting cabinet/caucus member. And Liberals think Dion would be a good PM for Canada. God help us.
If I was the PM of Canada, the entire caucus of the previous Liberal government would be under investigation for the theft of taxpayers money, and removed from sitting in the H of C until said investigation was complete. And god help them if they were found guilty.
Posted by: Leaf | 2006-12-05 8:39:20 AM
So, Leaf, you would instruct the RCMP to investigate your political opponents? You probably wouldn't be PM long.
Posted by: bigcitylib | 2006-12-05 8:49:51 AM
PS
Paul Martin and the Liberals did not balance the budget, he overtaxed and the deficit was gradually killed on the backs of the Canadian people who deserve all the credit.
Posted by: nomdenet | 2006-12-05 8:51:45 AM
nomdenet:
Thanks for pointing out those facts. I think many of us are aware it was the threat of the IMF actually coming into Canada that scared Cretien/Martin so the story is not really untold. I also agree with your analysis of the market reforms under Mulroney were what enabled Martin to look better than he would have had those reforms not been implemented.
However, BCF does have a point. I think he exaggerates it but there is some truth to it. Mulroney/Wilson did not make as much progress in deficit reduction as they might have. Mulroney's quote: "It's my turn to feed at the public trough". You point out the problem they inherited but they could have done better. Cretien/Martin maintained discipline over the years and ran surpluses near the end and should both be given credit for that discipline and criticized for not doing even better; there was no need to go on a spending splurge near the end of every fiscal year so that the surpluses were not "too" large. I also think Martin should be severely criticized for not going after the debt (he really only took a scratch at it). It is nice to see the current government (and a minority as well) following an even more disciplined strategy. One of the reasons I am glad to see the transformation from the old "progressive" Conservative Party to the new Conservative Party.
Posted by: Brent Weston | 2006-12-05 8:51:48 AM
It is clear that the lobotomized left is having heart palpitations about the fact that Dion is also a French citizen....and especially about that information getting out to Canadians. Of course, they see nothing wrong with that (although you can bet your ass they would go into orbit if the shoe were on the other foot....and the fact that Dion is a French citizen is fine, because as we all know, sarc on/France is the nation with unstained hands in world affairs/sarc off). The Libs whining on this thread would never vote for anyone other than a Liberal in any event so their comments are of little consequence. But the fact that Dion is a French citizen will not be overlooked by many in the Canadian electorate. And it makes no difference why he is a French citizen nor whether he ever voted in a French election, bla bla. IT DOESN'T MATTER. HE IS A FRENCH CITIZEN. FULL STOP.
Posted by: John Luft | 2006-12-05 8:54:36 AM
Dion's citizenship of France should be of concern, even on principle . France has, on more than one occasion advocated breaking this Country up for one reason,another very big reason is they are refusing to come to the aid of our soldiers in the dangerous part of Afghanistan. The fact that our French regiment has been deployed may change their minds, we'll keep an eye on that one.
Also, France has been a major supplier of arms to ME Countries which are in turn supporting the terrorists.
It should definitely be a concern for a person seeking to be Prime Minister, if only in his dreams.
The Clarity Act was drafted by the team of Manning/Harper. Dion made it his own. Now the Quebec Separatists and some others in that province do not like it, he may have to disown it for the obvious reasons.
Posted by: Liz J | 2006-12-05 8:58:15 AM
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