Our secretly Irish anthem

The Conservatives made a minor fuss today about the New Brunswick school principal who decided—a year ago, mind you—to stop playing the national anthem before class each day. 

"It is a song that belongs to each and every Canadian," proclaimed Mike Allen in the House.

"I was very saddened to hear that the principal of a New Brunswick school has banned the singing of O Canada," moped Tilly O’Neill-Gordon.

"As a Canadian and a proud Canadian I believe that we should celebrate our country," Keith Ashfield explained to reporters.

All of which is very edifying. Although, it would perhaps be easier to take their noble defense of our national song seriously if the party hadn’t just dispatched a press release that inserts a previously undisclosed apostrophe into the anthem’s title.

CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA CALLS FOR RETURN OF O’CANADA AT NEW BRUNSWICK SCHOOL 

OTTAWA – Today Conservative Party Member of Parliament Mike Allen (Tobique – Mactaquac) made the following statement in the House of Commons:

“Mr. Speaker, Canadians were outraged to learn that the Principal of a New Brunswick school banned the playing and singing of O’Canada.  Apparently he wanted to be "inclusive".

Mr. Speaker, this is political correctness run wild.  There is nothing more inclusive than O’Canada.  It is a song that belongs to each and every Canadian.  The singing of O’Canada is an expression of our collective pride in being citizens of one of the most prosperous and peaceful nations the world has ever known.

Mr. Speaker, I hope we all can join together and urge the Principal to reverse his decision and bring back O’Canada.”