A parliamentary petition demanding the revocation of Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship has garnered significant attention, amassing over 250,000 signatures from Canadian citizens and residents. The petition, addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calls for Musk’s dual citizenship status to be rescinded. Charlie Angus, a member of parliament from the New Democratic Party, sponsored the petition. It aims to hold Musk accountable for allegedly influencing global policies and Canadian sovereignty.
The process for launching such a petition in Canada involves several steps. Initially, it requires the support of at least five Canadian citizens, the backing of a member of parliament, and an initial review phase before signatures can be collected. The petition will remain open until June 20, 2025. By that date, the clerk of petitions must certify that at least 500 of its signatures are legitimate before it can be presented to the House of Commons for debate.
An interesting backdrop to this petition is Elon Musk’s citizenship history. Musk is a citizen of South Africa, Canada, and the United States. He obtained his Canadian passport as a teenager through his mother, Maye Musk, who was born in Canada. Despite the significant number of signatures collected, historical precedent suggests that revoking Canadian citizenship is rare.
Canada's legal framework around citizenship revocation has evolved over the years. The Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act of 2014 introduced provisions allowing for citizenship revocation in cases involving national security offenses. However, these provisions were later removed, and any Canadian stripped of their citizenship on national security grounds were re-nationalized.
A notable historical instance of denationalization occurred during World War II when thousands of Japanese Canadians were effectively denationalized and deported back to Japan. Current law stipulates that citizenship can only be revoked if it was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation.
Qualia Reed, the author of the petition, emphasized that the initiative is not a personal vendetta against Musk but rather a broader call for accountability among influential figures.
“To (be) clear, this action I started, and all of you are spreading and growing, isn’t about personal attacks,” – Reed
Reed further elaborated on the petition's objective:
“It’s about ensuring that those who influence global policies and industries know that the people are not okay with their lack of ethical responsibility.” – Reed
Petitioners have expressed concerns over Musk's influence on Canadian affairs.
“He has used his wealth and power to influence our elections,” – petitioners
“He has now become a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty.” – petitioners
The petition raises questions about the extent to which business leaders should be held accountable for their influence on international policies and domestic affairs.
