Anybody who wants a better understanding of what it’s like to get the short end of the stick should talk to Byrdie Funk. The Squamish resident, who was born in Mexico but brought to Canada by her parents when she was two months old, received a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada declaring she was no longer a Canadian citizen.
Her predicament is the result of an obscure clause she was not aware of in the 1977 citizenship act that only applies to persons born between Feb. 15, 1977 and April 16, 1981. In a recent email exchange she said “I don’t care how they spin it, this is wrong. I have to fight to have my citizenship restored but a convicted terrorist does not?”
To expedite her case, she secured a meeting with Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, our recently elected Liberal member of parliament. But Goldsmith-Jones cancelled the face-to-face encounter, claiming her schedule for the next two months was just too hectic. In lieu of a meeting, her assistant provided information about how to apply for a discretionary citizenship grant.
However, Funk says she has spoken with people who have taken that route. They told her it was an extended process and in some cases citizenship was denied.
On her Facebook page, Goldsmith-Jones announced she recently “had the pleasure of showing the Liberal Party of Canada around the riding” and added that she was “looking forward to plenty of more work for the rest of the summer!” Her official parliamentary website declares that she has “long been passionate about open, accessible, and fair decision-making that is sensitive and responsive to the needs and aspirations of our community.”
During the lead up to last year’s federal election she was asked why Squamish residents should vote for her. She said, “My reputation is absolutely to reach out... I build bridges.”
Whether the question is fair or not, some folks in Squamish are wondering if this abrupt appointment flip-flop would have happened to a resident of West Vancouver, Goldsmith-Jones’ old mayoral stomping ground and the location of her federal constituency office.
According to Byrdie Funk, “Pamela Goldsmith-Jones is my voice within the government. If she was concerned about my statelessness, she could play a key role in amending the legislation and that would change everything for me and the many others in similar situations as myself.”
To conclude, let’s refer to a comment posted on The Chief’s website by a reader bearing the moniker Born in East North Yards: “This stinks big time. I once had a problem with the Canada Revenue Agency. I called my MP (Andrew Sexton). He returned my call that EVENING and helped me out in a big way. If I were PGJ I would be going to bat for this young lady. Byrdie deserves better!”
