Abbysmum said "No problem, I didn't take it as singling me out.
What many people don't understand, however, is that there are many levels and types of laws that apply to different types of residents. For someone who has always lived here, paid taxes here, and are a citizen here, those distinctions are seamless, and so we don't realize they even exist.
In your reply, you equate paying taxes, having children in school and residing in Brandon as all being connected. But really they are all governed by different pieces of legislation that has different scopes and purposes.
For example, they pay property tax (either directly or via proxy of paying rent), which funds the school system. That's based on residency and the local laws that govern that. Also paying income tax is governed by the Income Tax Act, and is based on the idea of tax residency, where the income is earned (i.e. in Canada). This is something independent of citizenship (something I dealt a lot with in my years working for CRA). It's also why permanent residents and certain type of temporary residents can also receive benefits like the Child Tax Benefit.
Sending your children to school is governed by a separate piece of provincial legislation that requires all children residing in the province of Manitoba to be registered in school or for homeschooling starting the year they turn 7 until they turn 18 (or they complete their course of studies). This is also independent of whether or not you pay taxes into the system - you simply are required to attend.
Voting is something reserved for Canadian citizens. To fully understand what a Canadian citizen is, you need to have an general understanding of how that evolved from being British subjects and what citizenship means. There was talk years ago about allowing permanent residents to vote in certain types of provincial/municipal elections in Ontario, but I'm unsure what ever became of that. As a general rule, everywhere in Canada requires you to be citizen to vote. It is a right accorded only to those who have that status.
Is it right or needs updating? I'm of the inclination that it should only be reserved for citizens. Permanent residents, while contributing and productive members of our society, are fundamentally still guests here and so their rights and obligations are granted accordingly. They are exempt from jury duty, for example.
But maybe the larger question is *who* is a Canadian citizen. That has changed over the years - for example, you couldn't be a person described under the Indian Act and be a Canadian citizen until the introduction of the White Papers, and in recent years limits on how many generations you could pass citizenship to children born abroad was set out - so perhaps it's time to revise what citizenship is and who is eligible. "
You just wrote a lot of words and I don't understand your point at all.
I'd really like you to clarify your first paragraph. Let me quote it for you. Please break this down for me.
"What many people don't understand, however, is that there are many levels and types of laws that apply to different types of residents. For someone who has always lived here, paid taxes here, and are a citizen here, those distinctions are seamless, and so we don't realize they even exist"
Here's my understanding of what you're saying (please put me right)
"What many people don't understand"
Many people = immigrants
I summize "many people" means immigrants because You go one to say..
"For someone who has always lived here, paid taxes here, and are a citizen here, those distinctions are seamless, and so we don't realize they even exist."
Enlighten me on those distinctions.
I really don't understand what your point is. Forgive me if this post sounds like it's an attack. I'd just like to be more informed.
Theres a larger argument here as it pertains to provincial and federal elections but this, a school board election should really be based solely on residency