Dual citizenship, dual loyalties?
I have to admit to being a but surprised at the harsh comments that have been levelled at Lebanese-Canadians asking to be evacuated from Lebanon back to Canada. While these are citizens of the country, either through birth or immigration, many of them have become permanent residents of Lebanon, and haven't lived in Canada for years.
So a debate has emerged: should Canada be obligated to rescue citizens who no longer live in the country?
On a basic level, you would think that yes, simply because citizenship is granted and the rights follow the citizen regardless of where they go, or for how long they are out of the country.
Look at it another way though. If Canadians choose to, they can avoid paying taxes in Canada by cutting their ties to the country. The CRA has its rules and definitions, but it basically boils down to having two or less ties to the country, and you no longer have to pay tax in Canada.
If people have chosen to sever their ties to Canada (bank accounts, driver's license, owning property, etc...), then are their rights still in force? Many people in Hong Kong got some kind of status in Canada as an insurance policy in case things went badly after the Communist takeover. If they choose to live in Hong Kong until something goes wrong, does Canada have to rescue them from the Communists?
I would say yes, technically, but really, that person has also forfeited their obligations and duties as a citizen. They don't vote, they don't pay taxes, they don't make any meaningful contribution to the country. So if you choose to renounce your obligations to your country, why should your rights survive?
This, I think, goes back to broader issues I have written about before. People today are so fixated on their rights and freedoms that they have forgotten about their duties and obligations as citizens. In order for our country to work, we need to contribute our share towards making it such a great country. If people choose to not contribute anything, then why should they be allowed to take anything out of it?
On a pragmatic level, evacuating Canadian citizens out of Lebanon is a humanitarian issue rather than a civil issue (although who pays for this is perhaps open to debate), so Canada should be doing everything possible to help people get out of harm's way. Still, I hope that as people throw stones at those who carry the passport but haven't lived in Canada recently, they ask themselves what they, here in Canada, are doing to fulfill their duties and obligations to our country.
So a debate has emerged: should Canada be obligated to rescue citizens who no longer live in the country?
On a basic level, you would think that yes, simply because citizenship is granted and the rights follow the citizen regardless of where they go, or for how long they are out of the country.
Look at it another way though. If Canadians choose to, they can avoid paying taxes in Canada by cutting their ties to the country. The CRA has its rules and definitions, but it basically boils down to having two or less ties to the country, and you no longer have to pay tax in Canada.
If people have chosen to sever their ties to Canada (bank accounts, driver's license, owning property, etc...), then are their rights still in force? Many people in Hong Kong got some kind of status in Canada as an insurance policy in case things went badly after the Communist takeover. If they choose to live in Hong Kong until something goes wrong, does Canada have to rescue them from the Communists?
I would say yes, technically, but really, that person has also forfeited their obligations and duties as a citizen. They don't vote, they don't pay taxes, they don't make any meaningful contribution to the country. So if you choose to renounce your obligations to your country, why should your rights survive?
This, I think, goes back to broader issues I have written about before. People today are so fixated on their rights and freedoms that they have forgotten about their duties and obligations as citizens. In order for our country to work, we need to contribute our share towards making it such a great country. If people choose to not contribute anything, then why should they be allowed to take anything out of it?
On a pragmatic level, evacuating Canadian citizens out of Lebanon is a humanitarian issue rather than a civil issue (although who pays for this is perhaps open to debate), so Canada should be doing everything possible to help people get out of harm's way. Still, I hope that as people throw stones at those who carry the passport but haven't lived in Canada recently, they ask themselves what they, here in Canada, are doing to fulfill their duties and obligations to our country.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home