Today a bombshell broke that Andrew Scheer is a dual citizen with the United States. Personally I have never been a fan of dual citizenship due to potential conflicts of interest it can create, but also understand that different countries have different nationality rules so it is unavoidable sometimes. Most of the new world uses Jus Soli (right of soil so citizenship based on place of birth), while most of the old world uses Jus Sanguinis (right of blood so citizenship based on parent’s citizenship). It is for that reason dual citizenship or sometimes even multiple occur. For the prime-minister and governor general as well as foreign affairs minister, I believe they should if possible renounce their other citizenship so not only is their no conflict of interest, there is no appearance of one. At the same time I wouldn’t go as far as Australia in banning it for parliamentarians as some countries automatically bestow citizenship based on descent even if one doesn’t want it and some countries make renouncing it next to impossible so would hate to disqualify an otherwise highly qualified person from running over this. But I do believe if it is possible for one to renounce it, they should do so. In the case of Scheer, I am glad to see he is in the process of renouncing it, but he should have started the process back in 2017 when chosen as leader, not waited until this past August.
As for impact, that is hard to say. The people who are most likely to be upset at the idea of dual citizenship are probably mostly conservative voters, not progressive ones. Still the fact the Tories attacked Michelle Jean, Dion, and Mulcair over it looks bad as they are hypocrits. Also along with insurance broker issue, some may feel Scheer isn’t being forthright with whom he is. That being said I don’t think this will make much difference in the polls, but if more revelations on Scheer between now and e-day pop up, it could prove fatal.
afiscalconservativepointofview 