With the first all leaders debate in the Canadian Federal Election coming up on City and Omni August 6, I guess it’s a good time to get into politics. Actor Donald Sutherland is taking the current government to task over federal voting restrictions that prohibit expats from voting if they have been living abroad for more than five years.

In an opinion piece titled “I’m Canadian — and I have a right to vote” published in today’s Globe and Mail, the New Brunswick-born actor says he is proud of his Canadian citizenship, and still has a home in Canada. It follows an Ontario Court of Appeal decision earlier this month that upheld federal voting restrictions. The rules were enacted in 1993 amid debate about the strength of non-resident ties to Canada and their knowledge of domestic politics.

What do you think? Do you care? Do you vote?