Conny Canuck!

Conrad Black wants his citizenship back! His Lordship, who presently finds himself in a wee bit of trouble in the old colonies, has discovered that the old Maple Leaf passport is a pretty good thing to have after all.

Black surrendered the Maple Leaf embossed documents four years ago, when it became an impediment to his dreams of peerage and glory. At the time his entry to the House of Lords in England was the most important thing on the Black agenda and nothing should stand in its way, now of course there are a few more things on the Black dockets.

His Lordship was involved in many a battle with former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who took steps to block Black’s peerage by invoking the Nickel resolution. It was a piece of ancient legislation going back to 1919, when a Canadian government requested that the Crown not confer titles on Canadian citizens. Judging by the animosity between Black and Chretien at the time, a modified resolution might be named the Knuckle resolution but we digress.

With His wanna be Lordship, sidetracked by the hinter Landers he thus renounced his loyalty to Canada and took up his honours as Lord Black of Crossharbour, after which he promptly began a cross Canada tour besmirching the government of his former citizenship.

He called his former home, a one party federal state with no deliverance in sight. Proclaiming the nation was on the road to ruin with the leftist bent of the current government. Now these are comments which in some cases could have had some valid debating points, if only they had been delivered by a less pompous guy. Needless to say, there wasn’t a great grip of sadness when Conrad the Orator, chose to take his leave to Mother England.

But like a Dr. Seuss character, that cat has come back. And as he does, he comes home with more baggage than when he left. Black presently finds himself in a much publicized legal situation, or a giant smear job as he refers to it. Black feels that in the end he will be vindicated, but it's a situation that could very well find him ending up in jail if things go against him in the USA. It will be interesting to make note of the reaction to his desire to reclaim his citizenship, now that he seems to need it.

And that some speculate, is why his Lordship is willing to return to his common roots and once again join the land of the hosers. If Black’s lawyers fail in their bid to deliver him unscathed from the US Judicial system, he would have to do his time in the USA. His abandonment of Canadian citizenship four years ago, would rule out one of those cross border jail time exchanges. Leaving him at the mercies of a US Justice System which put Martha Stewart away for a silly little stock tip. It's the same US Justice System that Black is not doing a great job of ingratiating himself to these days. Imagine where they may place a giant of industry who has not willingly played along with their tactics thus far.

Others suggest that Black's legal troubles (in his non Canadian status) could very well see Canadian immigration officials coming after him for expulsion from this country, one of course he self expelled himself from four years ago. In fact legislation that was introduced last week (but now is in danger of not passing) could be the largest roadblock to his return.

In the end, it could be that he won't even be allowed to keep his peerage, so hey, may as well go back home and kick back by the lake.

Like many a tourist to Europe before him, suddenly Mr. Black has discovered that the little Maple Leaf on a backpack, or even on a passport, can be a truly valuable thing to call your own!