If Conservative Immigration Minister Chris Alexander does not like this blog, why does he not say so? Here we always thought it was just fair political comment. Given time though, Alexander hopes he can strip people such as the writer of their Canadian citizenship. Despite being born here, sworn allegiance to the Queen of Canada, served in the Canadian forces and lived here all our life, Alexander and the Tories want to pass a law that could take our Canadian citizenship from us.
It is unbelievable! The Conservative government wants to pass a new citizenship act that can take Canadian citizenship away from native-born Canadians. The fact that one of your parents was still a foreign national when you were born here often allows you dual citizenship. Whether you opt to move to that other country should be your choice, not the option of the Canadian government.
(The option of citizenship is interesting. Being one of six children of an American mother and a Canadian father, two brothers chose to be American citizens. They have made substantial contributions to that country in computer science and academia. Another brother was actually living in the Los Angeles area when he died suddenly and his Oscar—for technical contributions—had to be awarded posthumously. He was a proud Canadian.)
What annoys us about Chris Alexander is that we knew a good deal about him before he became a Conservative Member of Parliament and a junior Minister. When he came back from his posting in Afghanistan for the United Nations, he shopped both the Conservative and Liberal parties to see what they would offer him. The top brass of the Liberal Party thought he might be a good fit for the riding here in Babel as his mother had retired in the area and Babel had yet to hold a nomination meeting.
But Alexander never did talk to the Babel riding people. We did our due diligence in checking him out as best we could but he was not eager to meet. It became obvious that he was getting a better offer. The better offer was from the Conservatives.
Having vetted and encouraged many potential candidates over the years, you really have little time for candidates with no political principles or scruples. If we had talked to Alexander, our conversation would have included some political philosophy. We would have made sure that he had liberal instincts. Obviously he does not.
Knowing the feelings of many voters in Ajax-Pickering, just outside Toronto, we can forecast that Chris Alexander will not be in politics for the long haul.
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Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
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