OTTAWA - Stephane Dion, the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, is dismissing questions about his dual citizenship with France, saying he has proven he has ''100 per cent'' loyalty to Canada and he doesn't appreciate anyone questioning it.
Dion told reporters Tuesday he does not see the need to renounce his French citizenship and grew testy when pressed about a potential conflict of interest, saying such a possibility was ''impossible'' even if he was prime minister.
He snapped when New Democrat MP Pat Martin's opposing opinion on the matter was raised by a reporter: ''He may keep his opinion to himself. I am proud of who I am and I am fully loyal to my country. I think I have proven it and no one will question it.''
Martin said it would be: ''common sense for Dion to renounce his French citizenship.''
''Mr. Dion should not have divided loyalties,'' the Manitoba MP said. ''If he were ever to be the premier leader of Canada this is going to be a problem for him and he should not be so dismissive of people raising the question.''
Martin noted he would question the loyalty of someone if they carried memberships to both the Liberals and NDP.
Dion also challenged reporters to give him a reason to renounce his French citizenship.
During the Liberal leadership campaign, Dion told CanWest News Service, he would deal with his citizenship if it became an issue.
''I think it is part of who I am - my loyalty for Canada is 100 per cent. I have proven it, I don't need to prove it even more. People know how much I am committed for my country,'' Dion told CanWest News Service.
The issue appears to be an emotional one for Dion, who cut off further questions about the matter by repeating the phrase ''end of the story'' several times. During the scrum Tuesday, he told reporters to ''move on'' to other questions when it was repeatedly raised.
It did not take long for the issue of Dion's dual citizenship to be raised after he won the Liberal leadership Saturday, with a newspaper column in the West saying it was ''a question of loyalty'' while Bourque Newswatch - a popular news website - featured a headline: ''Citizen Dion: Vive La France!''
Governor General Michaelle Jean renounced her French citizenship in September, 2005, only days before moving into Rideau Hall.
One of the reasons given for dropping her French citizenship, which she had obtained from her French filmmaking husband, is that the governor general is the head of the Canadian military.
Dion, who has French citizenship through his Paris-born mother, Denyse Dion, told the Ottawa Citizen a year ago he does not vote in French elections or hold a French passport.
''Multiple identities should be seen as an asset not a threat,'' said Dion, in an interview before he joined the Martin cabinet as environment minister.
''Identity is something that you add, not what you extract. There is nothing wrong with multiple identities. The hearts of people are big enough to accept different identities. Canadian citizenship will give me my rights. Identity is the way I feel about the country.''
The new leader did study in France, obtaining a PhD from the Institut d'Etudes politiques in Paris.
He was in France during the 1980 referendum on Quebec sovereignty.
Dion did receive support for his position from fellow MPs.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said he saw no reason for Dion to renounce his citizenship even if he became prime minister one day. He said in the 21st Century, with modern politicians, it is unnecessary for dual citizenship to become an issue.
Duceppe believes there are numerous politicians in the European Union with dual citizenship and it is never an issue.
NDP MP Bill Siksay also had no problem with Dion's dual citizenship, saying the Liberal leader's loyalty to Canada is unquestionable.
''I can see no reason why he would have to drop his French citizenship. It's not a problem for me, anyways,'' he said.
Dion also said there are ''millions'' of Canadians who enjoy dual citizenship.
According to the last national census, there are almost 5.4 million people in Canada who began life as citizens of another country.
Of those, slightly more than four million have become Canadian citizens and 3.5 million of those say they are exclusively Canadian.
Many others (552,000) are dual citizens and others (4,030) are citizens of Canada and at least two other countries.
There are 1.37 million immigrants or refugees qualified to take out Canadian citizenship who have not done so.
Taken From The Ottawa Citizen
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