MillieF

Yes, I've been looking at the fuss going on in the US over Obama's Birth Certificate. Can a Canadian passport holder, who wasn't born in Canada, become the President of Canada? On that point, is there anything else that 'not being born in Canada' bars you from doing?

Oakvillian

well..... apart from the fact Canada is not a presidency....

the head of state is the Queen. She was born in England, and is not a Canadian citizen (except by virtue of the fact that she is the head of state...). Her representative as stand-in head of state is the Governor General. David Johnson, the current one, was born here, but the previous incumbent came to Canada as a refugee from Haiti, aged 11, in 1968.

Auld Yin

The governing of Canada is based on the UK Parliamentary system. We have a Prime Minister whose party, having the most seats, runs the country. The Queen is Head of State and represented by a Governor General, acting on her behalf. The Prime Minister would be a Canadian Citizen but not necessarily born in Canada.
To the best of my knowledge there is nothing exclusive of non Canadian born people but Canadian Citizenship would be required for some situations.

Souvy

And the one before that came from Hong Kong.

jimf

The previous GG had to renounce her French citizenship didn't she?

MillieF

Thank you all so much - I'm not being totally thick (well not ALL the time) I did know about the PM bit not Pres - it's just been a bit of one of those days! They all are I find at present. I keep coming up with things I don't know about Canada, and then I ask the OH feeling sure he must know....you guessed it!

immichaelcaine

i rember readin (inna quebec historie book) dat teh 1st president of canada was indeed not a president or primminister - but get dis - non other then king louis teh 13th of the frenchness. kid U not.


louis of french

Oakvillian

Oh, yes. I recently read a book about the seige of Hong Kong - I hadn't realised it was the first engagement for Canadian forces in WW2. Adrienne and Neville Poy were evacuated as refugees (although it was called a "repatriation" of Canadian government officials, since her father worked for the Canadian govt in Hong Kong, but neither he nor his family had ever been to Canada).

It says something about Canada that two successive Governors General arrived in the country as child refugees.

Novocastrian

That cradles aren't up to the job?

brizzle

Not really. They were just born abroad and went through Canadian schools etc like other Canadians. It would say something if they had arrived as adult refugees (see other thread on Canadian experience). What does the fact that Canada has never had a non-white, non-male PM say about the Country??

Novocastrian

I always had my doubts about Kim Campbell.

Oink

I think the better question would be, why would anybody who's not Canadian want to?

brizzle

Hands up, my mistake. I must confess that I have never heard of her and was under the impression that Canada has never had a female PM. Still it was only for 4 months mind.

jimf

Has there been an Aboriginal GG yet?

JonboyE

That nice Mr Harper is going to put a stop to all that refugee nonsense if he gets a majority.