Scheer abandons abandoning US citizenship.

I find it odd that Scheer defends his choice to keep his US Citizenship because he will "never be Prime Minister". He shouldn't even be an MP if he wishes to hold dual citizenship.

I have no specific issue with people in general holding onto dual nationalities. If the two countries in question permit it, and you're free to make that decision, then do so.

Sure, it is perhaps more egregious for the figurehead of a country to be beholden to another. But, especially in Canada, the PM is technically just another MP. These are highest political posts in the country and they are involved in drafting legislation for the country.

No one in this position should be beholden to a foreign power. Period.

Frankly, I'm a little shocked that there is nothing expressly forbidding this.

Hypotheticals may not represent real threats, but they often help illustrate the problem. Let's say the US and Canada go to war. While it still seems unlikely at the moment, I'll bet it seems a whole lot less unlikely than it did 4 years ago. And, it could slide further that way over time. And what if the US then decides to draft every able bodied man over a certain age? Again, not without historical precedent.

What then do those like Scheer do? Are they Canadian? Or are they American? If they decide they are American, what then of the laws they helped draft? Can we trust that they were drafted with the best interest of Canadians in mind? What if a sizable portion of the legislature contains such dual nationals?

While these questions may not seem far fetched. They are also not impossible.

Members of Parliament carry out the most essential job for the governance of our country. They write our laws, influence our global relationships and control taxation. I think it is a reasonable expectation of the people that those who take these offices are serious about being Canadian above all else and that it is clear that their interests and priorities are in this country.

If Scheer were committed to serving Canada and had it's interests above all else, he should have no need for a US Passport or citizenship. So long as we are allies, there is nothing stopping Scheer from visiting the US, owning property there or even spending months at a time there.

What difference would being the Prime Minister specifically have on any of this?

This isn't the US. The PM cannot pass laws without votes from MPs and senators. Even his own MPs can technically vote against him. And the PM himself rarely, if ever even drafts the legislation. That is typically handled by cabinet members. Also known as.... MPs, and their staff.

So, it boggles my mind why losing an election should change his mind.

But yes. I'm confused. Does he plan to retire to the US when this all over? Was his intent always to be involved in passing laws and changing policies and then leave the rest of the country to live with his decisions?