Should ALL Canadian citizens be allowed to vote?

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

If you are a Canadian citizen and still away from the country for 5 years or more, should you be allowed to vote in the upcoming federal election? The government says no.

 

Is this as outrageous as some conservative haters would have you believe? :)

Should 1 to 2 million voters who no longer even live in this country be able to seriously sway an election?

 

What do you think?

[Guest s******ecan****]

This is one where I agree with the government.

[Parker 19761]

So.. can you leave Canada permanently and still be a citizen?

When do they take it away due to absence?

 

.. Have Canadian politics always been so confusing?

(I don't remember having to ask as many questions previously.)

 

I think I have too many questions to be outraged.

[roamingguy 300292]

Probably the Government concerned there are enough expat votes to oust the CPC. IMO ironic in two ways. First enough problems getting people out to vote to begin with. But the Government wants to take the voting rights away from Canadians, albeit expat Canadians.

Second irony, I'm pretty sure expat Canadians pay Canadian taxes, even though they don't live in Canada. Government wants to take away the right to vote from expat Canadians because they don't live in Canada but still has its claws out taking tax money from those same Canadians...just seems ironic to me

 

RG

[canuckhooker 19203]

Wrong, ex-pats living in other countries do not pay Canadian taxes. (except those on government service like Dipolmatic corps and military) This is where the US gets it right. If you want US citizenship then you need to pay US taxes regardless of where you earned it.

 

It is no Conservative plot, but thanks for turning over that stone. I think the approach is correct. If you can't live in this country and support it by paying taxes and participating in our society, why should you be able to sit off-shore and have your 2 cents and a vote?

 

I think Canadians don't value our citizenship as highly as we should. Too-many hyphenated Canadians.

[roamingguy 300292]

Wrong, ex-pats living in other countries do not pay Canadian taxes. (except those on government service like Dipolmatic corps and military) This is where the US gets it right. If you want US citizenship then you need to pay US taxes regardless of where you earned it.

 

It is no Conservative plot, but thanks for turning over that stone. I think the approach is correct. If you can't live in this country and support it by paying taxes and participating in our society, why should you be able to sit off-shore and have your 2 cents and a vote?

 

I think Canadians don't value our citizenship as highly as we should. Too-many hyphenated Canadians.

 

Well I'll grant you I'm not an expert and I didn't do extensive research but at least from this source

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/taxes/canadians-living-abroad-may-be-surprised-to-learn-they-owe-ottawa-taxes/article17592602/

it seems you need to completely sever ties with Canada to be relieved of any income tax burden

Article cites things such as maintaining provincial health coverage, Canadian bank accounts, supporting spouses/dependents in Canada affect status as a non resident.

Saying ex pats don't pay Canadian taxes isn't 100 percent right...or wrong, nor is saying ex pats do pay Canadian taxes 100 percent right...or wrong

It seems there are varying shades of grey

I would assume however if a person has completely severed his/her ties with Canada he/she wouldn't even be interested in voting in a Canadian election

As for the CPC comment that was more tongue in cheek than serious

 

RG

[Helena D'Orville 33237]

Here is how I see it as a person who became a Canadian Citizen several years ago: I do not have any tie with my country of origin (France) except for visits to my family and friends. I do not pay taxes there, I pay taxes here. As I have been living in Canada for many years now, I have decided not to vote in my country of origin where I still have the right to vote because I find it unfair to vote for people or governments who will make laws that will affect people living in France, while I do not live there.

 

Now, an interesting thing happened many years ago when an extremist right-wing candidate happened to be in the last round of election for presidency against Jacques Chirac. I can tell you that we, the French expatriates living in Canada, went to vote in mass in the Consulates of France where special measures had been put in place so that we could avoid the worst.

 

So, I am shared regarding this. I am glad that adding my vote that day participated to avoid France to have an extremist right-wing president, but on a daily basis, why would I impose on French people the government and laws under which they should live... even if I don't live there anymore?

[Redline 953]

The problem as I see it for expats in determining if they can vote is tied to if they still maintain property in Canada. To vote you have to have a defined riding that you are a resident of as you are voting for a representative of that area. If as an expat you do not meet the requirements to have a valid riding status you should not be allowed to vote no Canadian residence/riding status. For this as far as long as you are properly maintain a valid Canadian address and addressing the required taxes related to that location you should be allowed to vote, even if primarily living away from Canada for more than 5 years.

 

This situation is different to US expats and the presidential elections as for that the people are voting country wide for the president (who is really the US equivalent to our Governor General) IN those cases all expats get to vote. But expats only get to vote in the state representatives or municipal if they meet the US defined residency requirements.

[canuckhooker 19203]

Your source is wrong. Try this one from CRA http://http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/ndvdls/nnrs-eng.html

 

Non resident Canadians only pay tax on income they earned in Canada. And if they are also taxed on that money by another country they are probably entitled to a rebate because you should not be taxed twice on the same income.

 

So a Canadian who lives in the US all year, and makes all their money there will not pay Canadian taxes.

[Boomer 33202]

I would think that the problem centers more about where to vote as we vote for a specific member by riding. I suspect that most expats wouldn't be terribly current about the local issues and might have issues getting registered there. The other thing is if the vote would be spread across 300 + riding in the country the results might be fairly minimal.

 

I have a daughter who married in the states and is there on a green card, and she told me one of the tests to qualify for the vote is whether you intend to return in the next two years.

[cinelli 22184]

Not sure but I think you lose health care if you are out of the country more than six months.

I have a lot of snowbird friends and they come back because of this.

[boyblue 100]

I have to agree with the government. Most of these Canadians have stayed abroad so they pay lower taxes . If they don't pay Canadian taxes then they shouldn't be able to vote.

[peacectryguy 12547]

I'm also in agreement with the government on this one. I actually would go one step further in saying that if you leave this country and get permanent residency in another, then you don't get to vote. The only exception, of course, being still employed by Canada as was mentioned (diplomatic, military, contract work overseas, etc.), but those are only temporary postings and your official residence is still in Canada.

I lived in the US for a while and even though I could technically vote, I felt like it would be a disservice to do so. Therefore, I didn't when I was away from here.

[PhantomKnight 7914]

I think every Canadian should have the right to vote regardless of what there status is. Regardless of where they live or who they pay taxes too.

That includes prisoners.

 

There are certain freedoms that we are afforded in Canada, this is one one of those few.

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

I think every Canadian should have the right to vote regardless of what there status is. Regardless of where they live or who they pay taxes too.

That includes prisoners.

 

There are certain freedoms that we are afforded in Canada, this is one one of those few.

 

Does that apply to 17 year olds born and raised in Canada? They also have a stake in the future of Canada.

[PhantomKnight 7914]

My apologies. Every Canadian of legal age.

[bcguy42 38594]

This situation is different to US expats and the presidential elections as for that the people are voting country wide for the president (who is really the US equivalent to our Governor General) IN those cases all expats get to vote. But expats only get to vote in the state representatives or municipal if they meet the US defined residency requirements.

 

All US citizen expats are allowed to vote in all Federal elections. They need to request a ballot from the county where they last resided before they left. In the instance of US citizens who have never lived in the US, my kids for example, they can register to vote in Washington DC.

 

Voting in state and local elections for expats varies by state. I moved here over 30 years ago. I can still request state and local ballots for the municipality, county, and state elections from the county where I last lived.

 

I think it's bizarre that my kids, should they so desire, as the children of a citizen, can also request local ballots even though they have never set foot in the county in question. This is not true in all states.

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

My apologies. Every Canadian of legal age.

 

Hey PhantomKnight, thanks for the comments and not trying to pick on you but if you can restrict someone from voting because they're not of legal age in Canada, why can't you restrict them from voting because they are not a legal resident of Canada?

 

Apparently only 0.5% exercised their option to vote in the last election anyway. Doesn't seem like a burning issue.