By Canadian Press

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen

Oct 3, 2019 | 5:13 PM

BEDFORD, N.S. — Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he never spoke publicly about being a dual Canadian-United States citizen because no one ever asked him.

Even when his colleagues were attacking politicians from other parties for their dual citizenships, he stayed silent.

The Globe and Mail first reported Thursday that the Tory leader’s father was born in the U.S. and therefore Scheer and his sisters received American citizenship as a result.

Scheer said he let his passport expire and met U.S. consular officials in August to begin the paperwork to renounce his American citizenship.

“I made the decision after I became leader of the party to do this,” Scheer told reporters after addressing a rally of a few hundred people in Bedford, N.S.

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“I was focused on other things. I was rebuilding the party, getting ready for the election, working on the platform. It was always my intention to do it before the election.”

But when Conservatives attacked former NDP leader Tom Mulcair and former Liberal leader Stephane Dion over their dual citizenship with France, Scheer said nothing. Mulcair acquired citizenship through his French-born wife and Dion through his French-born mother.

“No one has ever asked me before about it,” Scheer responded to questions about whether he thought his actions were hypocritical. “Like millions of Canadians, one of my parents was born in another country.”

As an MP in 2005, Scheer published a blog post about Michaelle Jean, a few weeks before she was sworn in as Governor General, asking his constituents how they felt about her dual citizenship.

“Does it bother you that she is a dual citizen (France and Canada)? Would it bother you if instead of French citizenship, she held U.S. citizenship?” he wrote, without mentioning his own double citizenship status.

Liberal party spokeswoman Zita Astravas said in a statement, “Andrew Scheer has been fundamentally dishonest with Canadians about who he is.”

“Scheer’s hidden his core personal positions, he hid facts about his career and education,” she said, referring to the fact Scheer’s biography on his party’s website states he was once an insurance broker in Saskatchewan when he was never fully licensed.

“And now he’s been caught hiding his American citizenship even while ridiculing others for holding dual citizenship.”

Scheer has not voted in any U.S. election, his spokesman, Brock Harrison, said earlier Thursday.

But despite his steps to renounce his U.S. citizenship, Scheer couldn’t say whether the paperwork would be finalized by the Oct. 21 election.

“I’m waiting to hear back from the U.S. embassy but that is certainly the intention,” he said.

Conservative supporters at his rally didn’t seem to care Scheer had dual loyalties — at least on paper.

“It’s great — he can go to the States without too much trouble,” said Gordon Burris, 69. “I think it would be just great if he had both. I wish I had both!”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2019.

Giuseppe Valiante, The Canadian Press