Harper government upset by NDP motion to remove Queen from citizenship oath
Posted April 18, 2013 11:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Harper government isn’t happy with an NDP motion that would take the Queen out of Canada’s citizenship oath.
The motion would replace the swearing of allegiance to the monarch with one pledging allegiance to our country.
The plan doesn’t make any sense, according to Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
He says the Queen is our head of state and that’s why we swear allegiance to her, adding that he’s never heard anyone complain.
“New Canadians come here knowing that this is a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy, with that tradition of continuity, and they’re proud of that,” Kenney said.
If you don’t swear allegiance to the Queen you can’t become a citizen, and NDP MP Pat Martin says he doesn’t think that’s right.
“It shows no disrespect to the Queen of England, the Queen of Canada, I just think the oath of allegiance should be first loyalty to the nation state of Canada,” Martin said.
Martin says even if it takes years he will keep fighting this battle.
He says he plans to build up support by touring the country before his motion is tabled this fall.
