Richards Not Happy with Liberal Changes to Citizenship Guide

Updates by the Liberal government to the Canadian Citizenship Guide aren't sitting well with Banff - Airdrie MP Blake Richards.

The guide is used as a source of information about Canadian history, laws and culture that is used by prospective Canadians to prepare for the citizenship test.  The Liberals are updating the book for the first time since the Conservative government did it in 2011.  

While Richards says an update is a legitimate thing for a government to be doing, he is concerned about the types of changes they're planning to make.  

One reported update includes the removal of warnings that certain "barbaric cultural practices" such as honour killings and female genital mutiliation (FGM) are crimes in Canada.  Richards says FGM is a horrific act of violence against women and girls.  "I think to try and ignore that issue is only going to do further harm to people who are victims of that practice.  I think it's really important that the government stand up to protect the rights of women and girls.  I think we should make it clear that that's unacceptable in Canada and we're doing all we can to protect women and girls from these types of victimizations.  Why they'd want to remove that is just beyond me."

Another concern of Richards' is the move by the government to divide responsibilities of citizenship into two categories, voluntary and mandatory.  The mandatory category includes things like paying taxes and filling out the census, while "respecting human rights" is in the voluntary category.  Richards thinks the Liberals have their priorities mixed up.

"The idea that filling out a census form is more of a responsibility of your citizenship than respecting people's basic human rights, I don't even know what to say to that, it's just unbelievable."

Richards is also dismayed that the new document is said to contain quotes from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  Richards insists the guide is an official Government of Canada document and isn't meant to be an advertising tool for the Liberal party.

"We've got a Prime Minister who feeds on glory and anytime he can get a chance to promote himself, he takes it.  Frankly this has to be about far more than the Liberal party's interest, the Prime Minister's interest.  This is about Canada and the importance of citizenship and to me, to mix those two things is just completely and utterly inappropriate."

To date the new guide is only a working copy.  Plans called for the updated guide to be released for Canada's 150th birthday.