(OTTAWA) - Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich – Gulf Islands, tabled a petition today on behalf of the Lost Canadians Organization to recognize Canada’s War Dead as Canadian citizens.
“Residents of Vancouver ask this government to redress the very strange injustice visited on those Canadians who fought and died for this country but who died before 1947 and are not being recognized as Canadian citizens,” said Ms. May. “The Green Party supports this call to action and urges the Government of Canada to recognize these brave individuals as Canadian citizens immediately.”
During World War I and II, 114 000 Canadians who died in the wars were recognized as Canadian citizens and nationals before entering the war, but were then stripped of their citizenship if they died. This was because of discriminatory provisions within the Canadian Citizenship Act 1947. As a result, these Lost Canadians do not have recognized citizenship or nationalities, nor do their descendants.
When the Harper Conservatives’ passed the highly contentious Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, there was little within the bill to remove the discriminatory clauses from the 1947 Canadian Citizenship Act.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Julian Morelli
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
cell: (613) 614 4916
office: (613) 562 4916 (224)
julian.morelli@greenparty.ca