Talk:Honorary Canadian citizenship

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[edit] Power to bestow

I don't believe that the Governor General or the Monarch have any role in bestowing honorary citizenship in Canada as this has always been an honour bestowed by Parliament. --Canadian Osprey 04:09, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

The link provided as a source states: "Section 5(4) says the Governor in Council may direct the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to grant citizenship to any person. The discretionary grant is to reward services of an exceptional value to Canada or to alleviate cases of special and unusual hardship" [italics mine]. The exact paragraph out of the Citizenship Act states: "In order to alleviate cases of special and unusual hardship or to reward services of an exceptional value to Canada, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Governor in Council may, in his discretion, direct the Minister to grant citizenship to any person and, where such a direction is made, the Minister shall forthwith grant citizenship to the person named in the direction" [italics mine]. Parliament has no technical part in granting citizenship, honorary or otherwise, besides debating and passing the Citizenship Act; I imagine their role in honorary citizenship is merely symbolic. Authority to grant all citizenship belongs to the Crown. --G2bambino 04:21, 6 November 2007 (UTC)