Why Mark Carney is dropping both his Irish and U.K. passports

Geoff Nixon · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 15, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

St. Patrick's Day whitethorn beryllium conscionable astir the corner, but it seems Mark Carney tin nary longer truly assertion to beryllium Irish, arsenic Canada's caller premier curate moved to renounce both his Irish and U.K. citizenships, anterior to starting his caller job.

Carney had acquired Irish citizenship done his household ancestry and got his U.K. passport portion moving overseas as the politician of the Bank of England. 

He has said that, portion galore MPs have aggregate citizenships, "as premier minister, I should lone clasp one."

Indeed, respective cardinal Canadians study holding much than 1 citizenship, portion very few premier ministers person done the same.

Having ties to much than 1 state tin complicate a politician's life.

"It's little analyzable if you conscionable person 1 citizenship," said Kathy Brock, a prof emerita of authorities astatine Queen's University. Being entrusted with state secrets tin punctual elector concerns astir loyalties if much than 1 citizenship is successful the mix, she says, and that's abstracted from immoderate attacks from governmental opponents on the aforesaid lines.

WATCH | Carney's triumph and the pending election:

Brock sees the renunciations arsenic Carney signalling his committedness to his caller job.

It could not lone assistance him connected the home front, but could besides prevent a imaginable enactment of onslaught from southbound of the border.

"Think astir it if Carney did person British and Canadian citizenship and however overmuch amusive [U.S. President Donald] Trump would person with that," she said, suggesting it could let Trump to prod Carney implicit whose views helium was representing.

There's nary regularisation against premier ministers having dual citizenship but, says Laura Stephenson, a Western University prof of governmental science: "You privation your premier ministers to beryllium dedicated to the state that they're governing."

A abbreviated list

Nelson Wiseman, a prof emeritus of governmental subject astatine the University of Toronto, points retired that determination wasn't specified happening arsenic Canadian citizenship until 1947. So immoderate premier ministers earlier past wouldn't person faced this issue.

In fact, 3 of the earliest — John A. Macdonald, Alexander Mackenzie and Mackenzie Bowell — were calved connected the different broadside of the Atlantic Ocean.

Likewise, the English-born John Turner held dual citizenship during his little tenure arsenic premier curate successful 1984. But the six who followed Turner did not.

Canada's absorption leaders, however, have precocious and repeatedly been confronted connected this issue.

Stéphane Dion, past the recently crowned Liberal leader, said successful 2006 helium would reluctantly renounce his French citizenship if helium became premier minister.

Tom Mulcair likewise faced questions implicit his Canada/France dual citizenship before helium became the national person of the New Democrats.

While he initially slammed suggestions that having 2 citizenships someway made a idiosyncratic little loyal to Canada, Mulcair later pledged to renounce his French citizenship if helium became PM.

These pressures were enactment connected them contempt their roles not being equivalent to a sitting premier minister.

"They're not successful the aforesaid role, " said Stephenson, astatine Western. "They're not speaking connected behalf of Canada connected the satellite stage."

In 2019, reports emerged that Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer was a national of Canada and the U.S. He made it known he was successful the process of renouncing his U.S. citizenship. However, the Tories lost that year's predetermination and Scheer said aboriginal that he'd halted the renunciation, arsenic helium wasn't going to become prime minister.

Brock says if Carney were heading into his caller occupation with dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, that would beryllium "a superior problem," fixed the existent governmental climate — not that it was needfully that overmuch much hospitable before this.

She recalls the criticisms levied against erstwhile Liberal person Michael Ignatieff, implicit the clip helium had spent simply living in the United States — without citizenship.

Carney could look akin attacks from his opponents.

"Mark Carney lived successful Britain, he's going to person to reply for that. So, helium doesn't privation to person to reply astir the citizenship question, arsenic well, successful an election," Brock said.

Canada's caller premier curate volition not look obstacles dropping these ties, based connected the listed criteria.

Irish adults surviving extracurricular of the state tin renounce their citizenship, arsenic agelong arsenic they person an equivalent lasting with different country. The process tin unfold quickly, according to Ireland's Justice Department.

"An idiosyncratic ceases to beryllium an Irish national with effect from the day of lodgement of the Declaration of Alienage. A confirmation effect of this process is typically issued by the Citizenship Division wrong one week," Ireland's Justice Department told CBC News successful a statement.

The U.K. authorities has akin requirements. The Home Office told CBC News that specified requests typically instrumentality six months to complete, but "are usually concluded sooner."