No..

To be fair the only reason I got it was because my wife is Canadian and so are my two boys, so aligning the passports seemed like a good idea, the long term plan was to retire someday to Europe…
However I don’t think you see the process made any more complex than it is while Canada’s population needs a boost from immigrants..
And to be honest it’s not much of a badge of convenience if you already have a bigger better badge, and for those from the third world that do come stay the time it takes to get citizenship and earn enough to take it home, well Canada got four years labor in what many would consider in a climate many consider much to cold (you should talk to South Americans in the UK who think it’s cold in Europe).. Citizenship seems a rather small reward
I will admit some part of this is based on seeing how friends of our from places such as India and the Caribbean coped or didn’t cope well with the winters, and Ontario is not as hard as some places

I got citizenship primarily because it would make taking a job in the USA much easier should the need arise.

Citizenship gives you options, and has little downside (jury service....???)

Does it really make it that much easier? I thought there was still a "specified professions" list and various other hurdles. Could really do with a move to a sunshine state at this point.

That was a thought that passed through my mind... right up to the point when my 'Candian' wife stated quite cleary she'd never ever move to the States, I wouldn't understand its a Canadian thing?

Healthcare is one of the issues. I think plenty of Canadians would move the US if that was not an issue, there are certainly enough snowbirds dotted around Florida and Arizona.

The some of the others for my wife in no particular order
The republicans
Right wing Christians
Gun laws

I enjoy my winters here in Arizona but wouldn't consider staying full time and these are some of the reasons why.

Yes, that too. Mind you NY and California are relatively liberal.

Do you find yourself biting your tongue a lot in AZ?

Occasionally yes. However, my fellow inmates here are mostly from BC so it isn't usually a problem. I have learned over the years though that you can't have a sensible debate with someone who watches Fox and that some folks are just plain stupid politically and are unable to think for themselves. They believe what Fox tells them. A bumper sticker that says "I don't believe the liberal media" is usually a good indicator !

As I understand it Engineers can move pretty easily under the NAFTA provisions. Its not a permanent move though, only ever temporary, and it needs renewing periodically.

But its a lot easier should the option come up than trying to do it as a Brit.

Assuming you have a decent job, with health benefits, I dont imagine day to day living in most of the US is so very different to day to day living in most of Canada. And as you have to leave if the job craps out under the NAFTA visa requirements the nature of life on US welfare doesnt really apply to the circumstances. Plenty or right wing loons and christian conservatives in Canada too. More guns per person, but better regulated I guess.

Its not something I plan to do, but never say never. I didnt plan coming to Canada either until it fell into my lap.

I always think statements like this are basically brainwashing of Canadians because there are plenty of right-wing nutters in Canada, super religious types and lots of people who own guns. Admittedly Alberta has more of them than where you lived. And on the flip side there are super liberal left-wing places in the US.

People who say that seem to have no actual practical experience of it by and large.

Hence Bill C-24, which requires you to declare an intent to remain in Canada in order to get citizenship.

How they plan to enforce that one will be interesting to see.

It is interesting, because we used to travel down through the states to North Carolina to see my cousin's every year
Now I'll agree some parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia are desperately poor and a bits right wing scary in places, certainly a visit to walgreesn or Walmart didn’t inspire, but when we got to Asheville it really was a very nice place.. and so are so many other (in the wealthy states)
And I’ll agree Alberta and to some degree Saskatchewan has a good selection of right wing nut jobs, but not the poverty

Having just driven south across the mountains form Strasbourg to Zurich… I think it’s easy to understand why Europe feels safer
It just doesn't have the poverty the states seems happy to live with?

No, they just hide it better. I doubt you'd feel very safe in a French ZUS. Heck, I didn't feel very safe wandering around the Chav Zone near where I worked in Surrey.

Keep thinking of buying me a Tavor, but the next non-Conservative government will probably ban them for being too scary-lookin'. Maybe if I paint it pink and put a Hello Kitty sticker on the side...