Canadian social commentator Kevin Comeau says he decided to leave the Island with his family because permanent residency certificate holders are treated like “second class citizens”.Mr Comeau, 54, lived in Bermuda for 23 years, and made a name for himself with proposals to address a range of issues from gang violence to race relations. His appearances at forums and rotary club meetings and columns for this newspaper attracted critics and fans over the years.However, the retired corporate securities lawyer left the Island last Thursday with his American wife Karenmary Penn and seven-year-old daughter Chloé for a new home in Rancho Santa Fe, 25 miles north of San Diego.In an interview before he left, he said: “There’s a whole bunch of things that I love about Bermuda and truly it is a difficult decision to leave. The biggest factor for us is our daughter, Chloé, who is soon going to be eight years old. Even though we have permanent residency certificates (PRC), which mean we can live here forever, there are a number of restrictions on our democratic rights.“Chloé will also get permanent residency when she turns 18 but that means she will always be a second-class citizen in the only country she’s ever known. She would soon learn from other children that she’s not Bermudian and that would have unkind results. She doesn’t have the right to work until she’s 18 and gets PRC. She’s an avid swimmer but she would be prevented from representing the only country she’s ever known because she’s a second-class non-citizen.”He added: ‘My wife is American and I am Canadian and since as permanent residency certificate holders we don’t get the right to vote, we decided to vote with our feet and leave. Bermuda’s not a perfect place for long-term expatriates. They have made it clear that they don’t want us here long-term, and that’s fine.”Asked how his ideas have been received during his time on the Island, he replied: “Every public policy that I have ever drafted has always been given quietly, on the side, to the Government, with a note that they can do whatever they want with it and never mention my name. Unfortunately, I have never received a response.”However, he said, anti-gang legislation passed recently was modelled on the Canadian legislation he has been promoting for years albeit with softer punishments attached.“I was happy to see they adopted it, and I don’t really care if they thank me or not. I realise it’s a problem for Government if they were to acknowledge my policies.”Mr Comeau said while he may not contribute any more ideas after leaving the Island, he will continue to monitor its fortunes with interest.“Bermuda will eventually solve a lot of its problems. Perhaps the biggest healer is time. I just hope it doesn’t get worse before it gets better because of a lack of action from those who hold power,” he said.