Statement from Justin Trudeau, Official Opposition Critic for Youth, Citizenship and Immigration, and Rob Oliphant, Official Opposition Critic for Multiculturalism on Citizenship Week 2010
Justin Trudeau - It is with pride that we take part in Citizenship Week 2010, a celebration of our rights as well as an acknowledgement of our responsibilities. The seven day event, running from Monday, October 18th to Sunday, October 24th, gives us an opportunity to think and talk about what it means and what it might mean in the future to carry the maple leaf.
Citizenship continues to evolve in dramatic ways. It was only in 2009 that most Canadian women gained equal rights with regards to the citizenship of their children and there continues to be a remarkable number of people whose commitment to this country is not properly acknowledged by the Citizenship Act. This week is also a time to acknowledge these lost Canadians and work towards rectifying the failures of current legislation.
For me, this week seems like a time to discuss what role we see ourselves playing on the global stage and to consider the relationship between Canada and the global village in which we today find ourselves. Will we take a leadership role in a radically changing world? Will we continue to find common values and shared projects? I think that the answer to these questions is yes, but these are not easy tasks and we’re unlikely to make it very far if we don’t undertake them together.
We still live in arguably the most dynamic and promising nation on the planet. This week should serve to remind us that it is a great honour to be a Canadian.
Rob Oliphant - Citizenship Week gives all Canadians the opportunity to renew their sense of citizenship and their pride in this great, diverse country of ours. At a ceremony in Toronto’s Flemingdon Park this Citizenship Week, I was part of welcoming sixty new Canadians who have come from twenty-nine countries around the globe.
At the Citizenship Court Judge’s invitation, those of us born in Canada joined those who have chosen Canada in pledging allegiance. I was proud to stand with these new Canadians in a joint exercise of citizenship, claiming the rights that come with it and honouring the responsibilities. I was humbled to be in the presence of those who have chosen this land, many after a difficult journey, because of our historical human rights record, our international legacy and the possibility of a better life for them and their children. And I was deeply moved to recognize that those rights and responsibilities are mine as well, shared with people of every race, religion, and ethnicity.
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Contact:
Office of Rob Oliphant, MP, 613-992-2855
Office of Justin Trudeau, MP, 613-995-8872
