Stephane Dion says he'll keep dual citizenship

CTV.ca News:

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said his loyalty "is 100 per cent to Canada first," after critics said he should abandon his dual citizenship to France.

Dion told CTV's Mike Duffy Live that he felt his loyalty was not worth debating.

The same issue hounded Michaelle Jean, who gave up her French citizenship before becoming governor-general.

But Dion has so far suggested he will keep his French passport.

"Everybody knows that my loyalty is 100 per cent to Canada first," he said.

Ezra Levant, publisher of the Western Standard, criticized Dion's decision in a column for the Calgary Sun.

"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?" he wrote.

NDP Leader Jack Layton took a less antagonistic position, although he agreed Dion should stick to his Canadian citizenship.

[...]

I wouldn't be bothered if he were British but I think there is a huge difference between having dual citizenship with Britain as opposed to France. Canadians were once British subjects, share the same Queen, once shared the same flag, we share the same system of government, membership in the Commonwealth and, since the Plains of Abraham, we have been a colony of Britain. Our nation is British in institutions and Common Law. We fought under the British in several wars. Our GG represents the Queen. Whose picture is on our currency? France is nothing to us and more often than not is opposed to our interests. Doesn’t anyone remember DeGaulle trying to destroy Canada?
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