Dual citizenship issue dogs Scheer
OTTAWA — Andrew Scheer was out promoting his plan to tackle gang-related violence Friday but found himself on the defensive about his dual citizenship and other tight spots instead of the signature Conservative tough-on-crime agenda.
The Conservative leader was in Toronto Friday morning to talk about his crime platform, which would see the Canada Border Services Agency do more to stop guns from being smuggled in from the United States. It also promises new mandatory minimum sentences for some gang-related offences.
Yet, Scheer was still having to spend a lot of time talking about how he is in the process of renouncing the dual American-Canadian citizenship he has through his U.S.-born father, and why he never said anything publicly about it.
Scheer, who said he has never renewed his U.S. passport as an adult, said he did not begin the process of giving up his American citizenship until August, despite having decided to do so after winning the Conservative leadership race in 2017.
“It’s not a big deal in Canada for people to have dual citizenship,” Scheer said.
The Conservatives, however, attacked former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, as well as former Liberal leader Stephane Dion, over their dual citizenship with France. Mulcair obtained his citizenship through his wife, who was born in France, and Dion through his mother, also born there.
When asked whether he brought up his own situation then, Scheer said: “I wasn’t leading the party at that time.”
Scheer also faced questions about whether he had ever earned any U.S. income (no), whether he had registered for the draft with the U.S. Selective Service, as required by law (he did not know, but the party has since confirmed he did) and when his U.S. passport expired (he would have to check).
The Liberals made a thinly veiled reference to the issue when they sent out a scornful news release about the Conservatives’ approach to law and order.
“Andrew Scheer wants to bring American-style gun laws to Canada,” said the statement from Liberal candidate Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, in his efforts to convince Canadians to give him a second mandate, has been comparing Scheer to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose government is in a labour dispute with education workers that could shut down schools next week.
“I think people in Ontario understand that there have been strikes at the education level against every political party who has been in office,” Scheer said when asked what impact that could have on his electoral fortunes.
To a lesser extent, Trudeau has also been linking Scheer to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who was a cabinet minister under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper and now heads Alberta’s United Conservative Party. Kenney is hitting the campaign trail in Ontario on Friday in support of Scheer.
The Conservative leader also found himself, once again, discussing abortion and LGBTQ rights.
The Conservatives, who have pledged to cut foreign aid by 25 per cent should they win the Oct. 21 election, have said they would maintain the Liberal commitment to spend $700 million annually on support for sexual- and reproductive-health rights around the world.
But a party spokesman told The Canadian Press they would not pick a side in a battle taking place at the United Nations, where a U.S.-led coalition is trying to remove language about sexual- and reproductive-health rights from official documents.