Bill 24 was recently passed by the Conservatives to "Strengthen Canadian Citizenship". The Conservatives say the bill was enacted for two primary reasons:
As to the first point, "citizenship of convenience", "Grants of Citizenship" in the bill covers that point by requiring longer-term residence, knowledge of an official language and true intent to reside in Canada. In most cases, this makes sense. In fact, the government has also simplified the system as follows:
The second issue "to stop security risks to Canada" covered by "Revocation of Citizenship" above is the divisive and problematic issue here. Admittedly, the grounds for revocation are pretty clear ... why would someone fight against a country of which they are a citizen?
However, it is the legal aspect with which I, and others more important than I am, take issue. Take a look at this summary of who can lose citizenship:
Hmm, I have only Canadian citizenship but because I have lived in Turkey for a long time, I guess I am eligible to apply for Turkish citizenship. That means that even though I was born in Canada and remain Canadian to the maple leaf on my tattoo, the government could strip me of my citizenship if I was a truly naughty boy. (No plans, by the way, and to be clear, this is just looking at the legal aspect).
This bill makes me and so many others "second-class citizens"; you can be a citizen as long as we deem it ok.
Look, if any Canadian breaks a Canadian law, that person should be tried in a Canadian Court of Law and face the punishment due all Canadians if found guilty. We do not want our own Guantanamo Bay with extra-judicial decisions at the whim of a government.
So, if a citizen is born as a citizen or becomes a citizen with no fraud, that person must have all the rights and responsibilities of a citizen. NO IFS, NO BUTS.
Canadians are protected by the UN's provision to stop statelessness:
and by Article 6 in Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
Once again, a law created by the Conservative Government contravenes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and needs to go to the Supreme Court of Canada. Others feel the same way: a lawyer has challenged the idea that a Canadian can be stripped of citizenship.
- To make it more difficult to obtain "citizenship of convenience"
- To stop security risks to Canada
A good summary of the act / bill by the Canadian Bar Association can be seen by clicking on the Table of Contents below:
As to the first point, "citizenship of convenience", "Grants of Citizenship" in the bill covers that point by requiring longer-term residence, knowledge of an official language and true intent to reside in Canada. In most cases, this makes sense. In fact, the government has also simplified the system as follows:
However, it is the legal aspect with which I, and others more important than I am, take issue. Take a look at this summary of who can lose citizenship:
This bill makes me and so many others "second-class citizens"; you can be a citizen as long as we deem it ok.
Look, if any Canadian breaks a Canadian law, that person should be tried in a Canadian Court of Law and face the punishment due all Canadians if found guilty. We do not want our own Guantanamo Bay with extra-judicial decisions at the whim of a government.
So, if a citizen is born as a citizen or becomes a citizen with no fraud, that person must have all the rights and responsibilities of a citizen. NO IFS, NO BUTS.
Canadians are protected by the UN's provision to stop statelessness:
and by Article 6 in Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
"Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada."
Once again, a law created by the Conservative Government contravenes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and needs to go to the Supreme Court of Canada. Others feel the same way: a lawyer has challenged the idea that a Canadian can be stripped of citizenship.
The "yea" votes were Conservatives while both the Liberals and the NDP voted "nay".
The Lively Albatross is beginning to see the tendency of the Conservatives to divide the country through a policy of security and fear.
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