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Should non-Canadians be allowed to vote in 2014?

Posted By: Newstalk 1010 · 2/1/2013 6:21:00 AM

Toronto City Hall is investigating whether to allow permanent residents who are not Canadian citizens to vote in municipal elections.

In order to cast a ballot, Toronto residents must have full citizenship.

On Thursday, councillors on Toronto's community development and recreation committee asked city staffers to investigate.

City councillors like Jaye Robinson and Ana Bailao are in favor of giving the vote to non-Canadians.  Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong says he's against such a move, adding he believes people must prove Canada is their home before they are allowed to vote.

A staff report is due in May.

If Toronto chooses to allow non-citizens to vote, the Ontario government must sign off on the move.

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  • 19
  1. Lisa posted on 02/01/2013 07:23 AM
    NO WAY!
    If you're serious about the politics in Canada
    and want to participate, become a citizen!
    THE NERVE!
  2. proton posted on 02/01/2013 08:34 AM
    ABSOLUTELY NOT! IF YOU'RE NOT A CITIZEN YOU DON' GET TO VOTE!

    Very surprised by Dave Agar's comments (believe he said it this morning) that since they pay taxes they should have a say. He should know better than that! There are residents of Canada that aren't citizens, pay Federal, Provincial AND Municipal taxes, and THEY ARE NOT CANADIANS AND THEREFORE HAVE NO RIGHT TO VOTE!

    Why should municipal elections be any different?

    Want to vote? Become a Canadian!!
    1. kenfromcanada posted on 02/01/2013 04:32 PM
      @proton As it so often happens - I agree with proton. NO WAY - NO HOW! You want the rights, show us you really want the rights and join us - officially!!!

      LOL - I am waiting to see what Eddie (EM) has to say. lolol - for sure the plight of Mali will be part of it, the terrible Americans.....................................
    show more replies
  3. Richard Collins posted on 02/01/2013 10:13 AM
    Absolutely not! It's ridiculous to even consider. Anything less than full citizenship, and you shouldn't even be allowed to consider yourself a "permanent" resident, nevermind casting a ballot.
  4. Crystalline posted on 02/01/2013 10:57 AM
    Absolutely not! Inasmuch as visitors are welcome in my house, I don't want them to be telling me who can or cannot live in the Master Bedroom. If they want to do that, they have to be ok to pay the bills as well. If they don't live in my house, then I suppose it won't be right for me to give them my housebills too. With that, they also have no right to tell me if I should repaint my walls; do renos or demolitions. They may feel for us BUT certainly they are not "of us". They will however be always welcome to come visit us and explore Tourism Canada.
  5. Angry Bill posted on 02/01/2013 02:03 PM
    I'ma say no. Non-citizens should not have the same rights as citizens.. otherwise, what's the point in going through the citizenship procedure at all?

    Coincidentally, seeing as I find myself in agreement with Denzil Minnan-Wong, I took a peek out the window in time to see Satan driving a snow mobile to work. So I guess it's ok to agree with him this one time.
  6. Greg posted on 02/01/2013 07:09 PM
    Really? No one feels that a permanent tax payer should get a say in who runs the city? I agree, no Provincial and Federal elections but why not municipal? Maybe if they're in the process of becoming a citizen?
    1. Palma posted on 02/02/2013 01:15 AM
      @Greg Why should municipal elections be any different? Even though less people vote in them, municipal government affect people's everyday lives the most.
    2. CoffeeCon posted on 02/04/2013 09:01 AM
      @Greg So that's it then, we need to add a bureaucracy to determine which PR's are paying taxes and allow those ones to vote? Nah, thanks. We're good for those.
    show more replies
  7. Mark posted on 02/02/2013 01:47 PM
    If you want to vote, become a Canadian. Otherwise, forget it. If someone comes to Canada of their own volition, then it's up to them to complete the process and become a citizen. Otherwise, we're only devaluing what it is to be a Canadian, something which we do all too often already. We're better than that, and the privilege of being a citizen of this country is one which should be pursued if one wants to take part in the electoral process.
  8. matt posted on 02/02/2013 05:12 PM
    What a truly sad headline...must be the liberals trolling....as the old saying goes..."nothing is a coincidence"...this could very well be the thing yet to come....a lesbian acclaimed to run the province and the toronto mayoral chair had by bob and doug...if someone was telling me this i wouldnt believe it but im actually a witness to this debacle...take off ehhh...very sad..very sad
    1. CoffeeCon posted on 02/04/2013 08:58 AM
      @matt Quick note; this has nothing to do with bob and doug, they have sense.
  9. Joe posted on 02/02/2013 08:13 PM
    No.

    Become a citizen first.

    I know too many people who like being a permanent resident and have no intention of becoming a citizen. If you want to be a part of the voting process then become a citizen first. And if you get to that point, perhaps you can teach Canadian born citizen a little something about being politically engaged
  10. CoffeeCon posted on 02/04/2013 08:57 AM
    RIDICULOUS CRUD going on down there can only surprise the uninformed; 'NOW THAT WE'RE DONE WITH FORD WE CAN GET BACK TO WORK! HURRR HURRRR DURRR
  11. VINCE posted on 06/12/2013 12:39 PM
    I was a resident and became a citizen because I wanted to vote.
    What I see is if you can not get votes, buy them, the liberals have been doing it for decades and am very afraid that Cathy will pass it because she needs to help her friends in city counsel and the liberals using the borrowed tax payers money.
    I want a referendum so I can make this decision not 21 people with their own personal agendas.
    So NO NO NO
    Vince ex immigrant
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