Stephane Dion on not being...Stephane Dion

Stephane Dion, on the matter of his dual citizenship with France (he was born in Canada)...

"Multiple identities should be seen as an asset, not a threat"
"There is nothing wrong with multiple identities. The hearts of people are big enough to accept different identities. Canadian citizenship will give me my rights. Identity is the way I feel about the country."

I believe the psychiatric term for that is "schizophrenia", or Multiple Personality Disorder. Which Stephane Dion wants to be Prime Minister? Is "Kyoto" really the name of a dog, or is it one of Stephane's "identities"? Which "Stephane" did the Liberal Party elect? Do they know? Does he know? If Canadian citizenship gives him rights, what does French citizenship give him? Discounts on vin ordinaire? Inexplicable desire to turn and run? A place to hide? Seats at Cannes? Vichychoise?

Why does a committed Canadian federaliste feel the need to hold a foreign passport, especially one who would be king, er, Prime Minister? And should Canadians tolerate such an individual as Prime Minister? The Bloc Quebecois are not at all obtuse about their desire to remove Quebec from Canada. Is Stephane Dion hedging his bets?



UPDATE:
http://195.83.177.9/code/liste.phtml?lang=uk&c=22&r=231

Taken from the French Civil Code, Arcticle 23-8(Tip of the hat to the French government for making their laws available on-line in English).

Art. 23-8
(Act no 73-42 of 9 Jan. 1973)
Loses French nationality - a French person who, filling an employment in a foreign army or public service or in an international organization of which France is not a member, or more generally providing his assistance to it, did not relinquish his employment or stop his assistance notwithstanding the order of the Government.
The party concerned shall be declared, by decree in Conseil d'Etat, to have lost French nationality unless, within the period prescribed by the order and which may not be shorter than fifteen days or longer than two months, he stops his occupation.
Where the opinion of the Conseil d'Etat is adverse, the measure provided for in the preceding paragraph may be adopted only by a decree in Council of Ministers

(thanks to an inquisitve bloggerazzi...)

UPDATE:
Nothing like political expedience to provide the beacon for the Liberal path of righteousness. Dion has apparently decided, that since it might be politically expedient to renounce his maternal birthright, he would be willing to let it go, for the good of the party, er, election, er, power, er, country, yeah that's it.

Apparently, the word "integrity" is totally absent in the Liberal Party. Took arguably the most honourable man in the party, what, less than a week to cave a principle for the purpose of power...