Summary:
The Liberal government has passed Bill C-8 to revise the wording of the oath.
The Call to Action:
We call upon the Government of Canada to replace the Oath of Citizenship with the following:
I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.
Analysis:
The Liberal government passed Bill C-8 in 2021, which contains new language for the oath as follows:
“I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her heirs and successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.”
According to the federal government, the wording was changed from what Call to Action 94 recommended after consulting with First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations and leaders, to better reflect the diverseness of Indigenous people in Canada.
Overhauling the wording of the oath required a legislative amendment to the Citizenship Act. Bill C-8 was tabled in September 2020.
A bill was previously tabled in Parliament in 2019 to revise the wording of the oath to the same proposed text but it did not pass the House of Commons before the session ended.
That bill had only passed first reading when the 42nd Parliament finished for the summer and then dissolved for a general election.