*
Little did I know….
Update – Showing keen political instincts right out of the gate….
He snapped when a reporter raised New Democrat MP Pat Martin’s opposing opinion on the matter: “He may keep his opinion to himself. I am proud of who I am, and I am fully loyal to my country. I think I have proven it, and no one will question it.
[…]
The issue appears to be an emotional one for Mr. Dion, who cut off further questions about the matter by repeating the phrase “end of the story” several times. During the media scrum yesterday, he told reporters to “move on” to other questions when it was repeatedly raised.
Well – that settles that! Bourque is all over this today.
Ezra’s article was stupid. Is he trying to defeat the Harper government? If I were Harper and the Conservative party I’d be doing everything that I can to disassociate myself from Ezra Levant and the Western Standard because they are nothing but a liability.
The word on the street is that Ezra’s going around calling himself a “liberal” these days, which is rather incongruous for a man who publishes what purports to be “Canada’s only Conservative Magazine.”
oh no. it is a misinterpretation of Dions fine English.
he didnt mean Canada first , then France ?
he must have meant Canada only. mais oui?
Bob , Dion’s duel allegiance’s has nothing to do with allegiance to PMSH; it has to do with Canadian citizens. We cannot have a PM (should he ever get the job – and he claims he wants that job!) who has TWO passports. He is a citizen of France! How would he behave if France brought over another De Gaulle to rant and rave about Free Quebec, Vive La Quebec! Give your head a shake.
Why should this surprise anybody? I mean, what other country in the world allows a party sworn to its destruction to have seats in its government. What would be so different with a French ( as in Fwaaannnccce) PM ?
In days gone by Dion was a sovereignist. Is the Clarity Act crafted by him just an act?
This is turning out wonderfully. Dion is too politically tone deaf, or just plain arrogant, to realize this is a liabilty. Fact is, i think most liberals know it, but they don’t want point out the emperor’s lack of pants.
I hope he talks about it often, indignantly, and in his mangled English.
Bob – do yourself a favour and Google “classic liberalism”. Just because today’s progressive liberals have bastardized the brand doesn’t mean they own the term liberal.
Dion clearly has deep ties to Canada. I don’t doubt that. However what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. GG had to give up her dual citizenship under the Liberal party well, then so should Dion in the interest of continuity. Mind you I’m hoping he doesn’t, because that is frankly one more nail in the coffin.
The Clarity Act was drafted by Stephen Harper and Preston Manning in collaboration. Dion has merely claimed it for himself as Liberals always do.
Dion holding French citizenship could be an issue of conflict of interest IF he makes it to Prime Minister.
France is one country which has not been the best friend of Canada. On more than one occasion they have advocated for the breakup of our Country.Currently they are not pulling their weight in Afghanistan to aid our soldiers in the
dangerous zone either. It will be interesting to see if they change their position when our French regiment, recently deployed arrives on the scene.
Closet Liberal BBS lisped: “Bob – do yourthelf a favour and Google “clathic liberalithm”. Just becauthe today’th progretttthive liberalth have bathtardithed the brand doethn’t mean they own the term liberal.”
With all due respect, jarhead, I shan’t be taking poli-sci lessons from the likes of you today, mmm-kay? Debating and fuzzifying the meaning of words like “liberal” and “nation” is for twenty year olds. I’ll tell you what liberal isn’t: conservative.
Ezra did everything short of call Dion a “frog”; it reflects poorly on all right wingers and makes getting a majority government all the more difficult for the CPC. So I ask again: is Ezra trying to get the Liberals elected?
Liz J you are correct, does that not make Dion’s commitment to Canada more questionable?
So, Boob, what if Stephen arper were a dual Canada/US citizen?
Would you stick to your (hemp) guns?
No, like most Bolshevik leftists, you have no principles, only enemies you want eliminated.
“I’ll tell you what liberal isn’t: conservative.”
Thank gawd for that, I don’t think my wallet could take it.
Ezra is correct in his op-ed. Bob, the study of classical liberalism and its meaning is not just for 20 somethings. It is what conservativism stands for. By the tone of your condescension you would do well to study Ludwig Von Mises.
http://www.mises.org
I’m loving this as a liberal, you guys are really grasping.
The best you can do?
this wont hurt dion, mark my words.
There will be no national outcry.
You guys just look like youre throwing anyhing you can hoping it will stick.
And in the meantime helping us.
Please keep it up.
Should a citizen of France be Prime Minister of Canada ?
Yes (97) 24%
No (308) 75%
Don’t know (6) 1%
Total Votes: 411
…-
Survey at Bourque
Mark Tewksbury called PM Harper a “redneck” live on national tv at the liberal convention. No liberals seemed to have a problem with that. Imagine the outcry if the conservatives got somebody to go on live tv at one of their conventions and call Dion a “frog”? Is that not a bit of a double standard?
Wait just a minute. Unlike all those sweaty-balled, third world dictatorships that are constantly wrapped up in internecine tribal warfare… patriotism and citizenship are cornerstone values of Canadian society. Or has that changed as well?
Stephane Dion says it’s not worth talking about.
Didn’t Conrad Black renounce his Canadian Citizenship because he wanted to enter the British House of Lords but Chretien wouldn’t allow it, even as a dual citizen? This led to Black selling his Canadian papers because a foreigner could not have majority control. This led to the liberal Aspers taking control of the then conservative National Post and most of the good writers such as Mark Steyn leaving. This led to most Canadian conservative readers going through major intellectual withdrawal until SDA came along.
So why can’t Conrad Black be a dual citizen of Canada and mother Britian while being in the British House of Lords yet Monsieur Dion can be Canada’s PM as well as a citizen of France?
When will Dion not only give up his French citizenship but also admit he did not write the clarity act. Manning and Harper did. Liberals stole that along with all our money. Why can Dion get away, as did Martin, with saying I know nothing, re Adscam, but they are outraged that the head of the RCMP says he knew nothing. If he resigns, wait for the tell all book, to come just before the next election. See Danny Williams is having his own money scandal in NFLD. No wonder he needs more money, his people stole from the taxpayer. Then we have the Childrens Aid theft in Ont., and AADAC theft from Alberta. Also an official with gaming in Alberta stole 75,000. from bingo and casino profits.
Forgot about that football player and his theft of over 300,000. Isn’t anyone watching the henhouse with all those Foxes in charge.
The bottom line is why does Mr. Dion need French citizenship? Is he planning to move to Europe anytime soon? What is he hiding? And is Power Corporation involved yet again?
Unfortunately, Harper can’t make an issue out of this because the media will pillory him as a “far-right” “neo-conservative” “anti-French” activist and he is the Prime Minister – so he must appear ‘Prime-Ministerial’ and beyond reproach. But this is fair game that the media and particularly Layton(who stands to gain seats on the issue) should be hounding him about.
Maybe Quebecs plan is to become part of France once they separate. This way Dion already has his citizenship ready.
Please don’t insult our new Dauphin … long live Dion.
Which MSM journalist will ask the Question they were so eager to ask Harper back at the last election.
“Hey Stephane, do you love Canada?”
My guess it will NEVER happen!
Canoe poll :who would make best PM: 1384 votes
Harper 59%
Dion 17%
Layton (like that would ever happen) 6 %
None of above 17%..(same as Dion)
wondering tonite,about the big Ontario Childrens Aid rip-off,all the stolen money that should have gone to needy kids.Why isn’t that front and center,instead of every twisted word out of Dion’s mouth.Hmmm,cover-up?Another Gov’t agency screwing up big time.Also Ont.Hydro rip-off,$8000,for leather jacket? Company credit card abuse etc.(see G&M comments),but Libs continue to make excuses.C’mon Steve..clean it all up,open up the books on any and all Gov’t agencies.I’m sure there is another huge scandal just below surface,that Cons.are saving to drag out before election.I hope so!
Why hang onto this French citizenship? Good question. One would only want it if to fall back on. France is well-known as a republic that has yet to truly acknowledge that it has had to relinquish control of its former colonies. They continue to meddle in the affairs of their former colonies much like they did in Quebec when the FLQ crisis was ablaze. Makes one wonder if Dion is a fifth columnist for the Gaullist regime…like P.E.T.
Which MSM journalist will ask the Question they were so eager to ask Harper back at the last election.
“Hey Stephane, do you love Canada?”
My guess it will NEVER happen!
Posted by: Joe Molnar at December 5, 2006 10:29 PM
Shouldn’t it be the very one who asked this of Harper in the last campaign? Where is this person hiding? Why aren’t they asking that question of Dion?
This issue is my pet peeve. If Dion becomes Prime Minister with dual citizenship he cannot possibly have his complete loyalty to Canada. If this is allowed then who is next and where will their allegiances be. Now, you cannot call me a bigot because I also have dual citizenship and it is not right that someone in this powerful position is not just plain Canadian. It’s damn well dangerous. Let your imagine go on this one.
France is not a friend to Canada and has not been for almost as many years as I’ve been alive and that’s a long time. Look around and see how many other nations are represented in our House of Commons. Scary eh…….
On the topic of dual citizenship
I believe Ted Morton is a dual U.S/Canadian citizen. Should this impact which portfolio he is likely be offered? At least Dion is addressing this publicly and the background is coming forth.
I don’t think we should have a Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs who is a dual citizen, yet it could happen.
Thanks for the laugh Bob, best I’ve had in a while.
Bob and George have no real connection with reality. That Dion will not give up his French citizenship is just what the doctor ordered as far as PMSH and the Conservative Party is concerned. This is just the issue that could propel the Conservative Party to a majority government. Plain and simple – Canadians will not accept a citizen of France as their Prime Minister. The Conservatives are going to have a hay day on this matter. I cannot believe that a party with the history of political successes that the Liberals have enjoyed over the years are going to stand by and do nothing about Dion’s dual citizenship.
Either he drops the French citizenship or the Liberals will loose big time. Mark my words. What utter rubbish that Dion’s loyalty is “100% Canadian first”. It should be “100% Canadian and ONLY Canadian”. Until he does that he and his party are dead in the water.
You can’t tell me that Harper being a Leafs fan isn’t more serious a problem to Westerners than Dion maintaining citizenship of France is to Canadians. And the former doesn’t appear to be a problem, does it?
And, finally, Conservatives totally rock at winning polls on the internets. OMG!! LOL!!
Regardless of all previous posts there is no circumstance that any Canadian in English speaking Canada will support a Prime Ministerial Candidate that has sworn allegiance to France. (The term English Speaking Canada is a deference to linguistic actuality not ethnic racist actuality.) I shall FIGHT, literally to the death, anyone who quibbles.
Crabgrass,
I hate to point out the obvious (actually I savour it like fine wine), but
Conservatives kinda won a REAL poll too – it was called the FEDERAL ELECTION.
“OMG!!LOL!”
Mitch, if you’re content with that victory, we can in fact all be happy.
What Dion does not realize is that even though HE knows he is 100% Canadian, his French citizenship simply makes many people uncomfortable. I think it has to do with public figures not just having to be without a conflict of interest, but needing also to “appear” to have no conflict of interest. To some people this simply looks like a potential conflict of interest. Being only Canadian is also an important symbol. I don’t mind so much about dual citizenship among Cabinet Ministers, etc., but a Prime Minister I think need to be only Canadian.
Lay off the dual citizenship question until the election. Don’t give the libs any reason to make him publically renounce his french citizenship. Pretend it doesn’t matter, then spring it on him.
Reading the comments in the g&m re dion. A lot of hatred for Alberta in Que and Ont. They are all voting lib because of him, claim he has got rid of the sleaze. And there is Volpe sitting in the front row. Masse appointed as his campaign manager. JC pulling the strings. Can’t wait for the english debate, being translated for english viewers. Harper did well in the French debate.
Reminds me of years ago when it was said a dog could run as social credit and win. My sons friend had a St Bernard dog called Sam. You guessed, my son and a couple of others got nomination papers and supporters and Sam Bernard was put on the ballot as a social credit independant. They went all out, put up posters, and lawn signs, VOTE SAM. Everyone wondered who Sam was, where was he from etc. You should have seen the faces and heard the laughs when Sam appeared at the debate. Hey, Sam got 10% of the vote. Reminds me of liberals.
And yes, I did sign Sams nomination papers. Who says no to your kids. None of the kids could vote, were in grade 10, and got all the highschool students involved. They kept the secret. I thought they would all run for the Rhino party someday, but it folded. Bring it back.
Mel – he does not have a “sworn allegience” to France – he is a citizen by accident of birth – his mother is French. Not quite the same thing as someone who seeks citizenship in another country.
Here’s a question – how many of you will vote for Dion if he renounces his French citizenship?
That is what I thought. The only place this is an issue is on the blogging tories, and none of you will vote for him anyway. The rest of us will base our votes on the real issues.
What a silly tempest in a teapot ! My first reaction to Ezra’s piece in the Sun was to wonder if he’s losing it.
So Dion’s mother was French. So what? We don’t select our parents and, even if we could, I seriously doubt that Dion had prenatal political ambitions.
I asked Ezra the question, over at Shotgun, if he had bothered to check French law to see if Dion even has the ability to renounce his birthright. No response, of course. Lots of counties don’t recognize a right of renunciation. Does France? It was easy for the G.G. to renounce hers because it wasn’t a birthright – just a form status acquired by marriage.
Anyway,I don’t give a flying **** if the man is a dual citizen of France, Kazahkstan or Ooga Booga. He has amply demonstrated, in the last few years, that he has a stronger attachment to Canada than a lot of us Westerners.
Instead of making ourselves look like fools by taking cheap shots about trivia, I suggest that conservatives should be taking a hard look at serious matters – like his Suzukian stand on Kyoto or the fact that, sitting at the cabinet table for a decade, he was oblivious to the fact that Liberals in Quebec were making out like bandits.
My Dad was born in North Dakota. I have a daughter born in Australia and two grandsons born in Texas. With so much national impurity in my immediate clan, I suppose that, in Ezra’s view, I’m a potential fifth columnist. Barf, barf, barf.
(Now my stomach feels better.)
What a silly tempest in a teapot ! My first reaction to Ezra’s piece in the Sun was to wonder if he’s losing it.
So Dion’s mother was French. So what? We don’t select our parents and, even if we could, I seriously doubt that Dion had prenatal political ambitions.
I asked Ezra the question, over at Shotgun, if he had bothered to check French law to see if Dion even has the ability to renounce his birthright. No response, of course. Lots of counties don’t recognize a right of renunciation. Does France? It was easy for the G.G. to renounce hers because it wasn’t a birthright – just a form status acquired by marriage.
Anyway,I don’t give a flying **** if the man is a dual citizen of France, Kazahkstan or Ooga Booga. He has amply demonstrated, in the last few years, that he has a stronger attachment to Canada than a lot of us Westerners.
Instead of making ourselves look like fools by taking cheap shots about trivia, I suggest that conservatives should be taking a hard look at serious matters – like his Suzukian stand on Kyoto or the fact that, sitting at the cabinet table for a decade, he was oblivious to the fact that Liberals in Quebec were making out like bandits.
My Dad was born in North Dakota. I have a daughter born in Australia and two grandsons born in Texas. With so much national impurity in my immediate clan, I suppose that, in Ezra’s view, I’m a potential fifth columnist. Barf, barf, barf.
(Now my stomach feels better.)
Lots of COUNTRIES don’t recognize the right of renunciation. Sorry about that.
Should a citizen of France be Prime Minister of Canada ?
Yes (391) 23%
No (1271) 75%
Don’t know (26) 2%
Total Votes: 1688
Bourque survey
I wonder what the french reaction would be if a person holding french and canadian citizenship vied for the office of president?? would it even be allowed ???
No Gayle, it’s not just Blogging Tories who have concerns with this, several Liberals and NDP members are concerned as well.
At this point it could be an issue for him at any time in this minority government. If a snap election gets called it could become quite the nightmare for him and the Liberals.
As a Conservative I say if he can’t decide on the matter he has the option of letting the people decide in the next election.
Dion was the “Unity Minister” for AdScam Chretien.
Do Canadians want Dion as Prime Minister?
Could a Prime Minister with divided loyalties unify a country?
Dion has loyalty to two countries: France and Canada. Dion is conflicted in his loyalties.
Dion has quantified his loyalty to Canada: 100%.
Has Dion quantified his loyalty to France?
Is Dion’s loyalty to France 100%.
Canadians need to know whether Dion has the
wisdom and courage
to guide Canada through the next unity challenge.
Canadian troops are dying in Afghanistan for Canada and Canadians.
Wisdom, courage, loyalty to Canada: sealed by their blood.
…-
“Decline of the Grit empire
Gone are the glory days. The only way back for the Liberals is to rise to the unity challenge.
…..
“Of course, as partisans, Liberals will ask
themselves today the fundamental political question:
Who can win an early election?
The more fundamental questions should be:
Who has the courage and wisdom to guide the party
and perhaps the country through the next unity challenge,
and who can rebuild the party in Quebec,
without which the Liberals cannot conceivably form a majority government?” …-
Jeffrey Simpson
http://dynamitearchives.blogspot.com/
maz2:
This is ridiculous;
I do however think
it’s important
that people
be tired of
this French citizenship meme
before the next
election.
Bourque news.
Headline:
Dion Snaps Over Giving Up France
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost
Belinda says this is an issue (Dion citizenship),on National News last eve,so it MUST be so!She is the new go-to brain-trust for Lib party isn’t she?? Read article in Nat.Post re same(link thru Bourque)When Dion questioned by reporters,he “snapped”,said,”end of story”,and that he doesn’t appreciate being asked,and for reporters to “move on”.Also said it would be “impossible”to give up Fr.citizenship.Hey,the Bloc support him in retaining it tho! Now,if PMSH talked to reporters in this dismissive manner,imagine the uproar.Oh yeah,that already happened..yet,o.k.for Dion to dismiss them,and their questions.