More than 280,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to strip tech billionaire Elon Musk of his Canadian citizenship for actions considered against the national interest.
Released on February 20, the parliamentary petition alleges that Musk, who has been heavily associated with the government of former U.S. President Donald Trump, “has joined a foreign government intent on undermining Canadian sovereignty.” The petition further alleges that he is carrying on activities prejudicial to the national interest of Canada and employing his vast wealth and influence to interfere with Canadian elections.
The world’s richest man, Musk, possesses South African, U.S., and Canadian passports, the third of which was acquired via his Canadian-born mother. Known for his roles as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has become increasingly involved in U.S. politics as a key advisor to Trump.
His involvement has intensified as tensions between Washington and Ottawa escalate, especially as Trump threatens to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods, potentially dismantling the three-decade-old free trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Although Trump suspended the tariffs in early February temporarily to enable negotiations, he indicated plans to proceed with the measures soon.
In addition, Trump signaled his intention to impose the same tariff on all foreign steel and aluminum to the US, including targeting Canada. Trump and Musk made incendiary comments about Canada potentially becoming the “51st state” of the US, with Musk calling Trudeau “Canada’s governor.” Musk responded to the petition with a tweet saying that “Canada is not a real country.”
The petition, initiated by New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus, will remain open until June 20, when it will be brought to Parliament for debate. The Ottawa response is uncertain, as Canadian law allows for the revocation of citizenship in cases of serious crimes such as treason or fraud, or if an individual misrepresented themselves during the immigration process.
