The numbers cited are impressive until you remember how few of us actually bothered to vote in the last Estonian elections. For certain somebody in the Estonian parliament (probably a member of Saavisaare.s party) will raise this and question it.

Sama lugu mis oli juba avaldatud tükk aega tagasi
http://www.eesti.ca/marcus-kol...

Oleks võinud vähemalt selle täiesti laest võetud numbri, et EKN esindab 40,000 eestlast Kanadas, ära parandada.

How much tax will expatriates pay to justify their position? Kui suur on mõeldud väliseestlaste tulumaks et nendel on õigused osa võtta kodu Eesti poliitikat?

I definitely do not want EKN to represent me in Estionia. I give my vote directly to the party I support. Historically EKN has not been spokesman of the majority of Estonians in Canada, they represent only a very small number that cast their votes for them and so far it has been olny their political agenda. For instance Margus Kolga (representing EKN) wants everybody to sell Estonian House and use the money to build a much smaller and more expensive building near Tartu College. The majority of Estonians do not support selling the Estonian House.

Michelle Zilio, Parliamentary Reporter for Canada's national newspaper the Globe and Mail while covering a press conference in Ottawa with Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau cited at the end of her article that

"Canada is home to more than 24,000 Estonians."

ERR, Estonia's state broadcaster while reporting on the same Ratas trip to Canada noted that

"According to the 2016 census, approximately 20,000 - 25,000 Estonians live in Canada, 7,800 of whom live in Toronto."

These news outlets are trusted sources of information and are staffed by trained and seasoned journalists.

The stats Canada census statistics can be found on http://www.12statcan.gc.ca/cen....

One seriously has to question the judgement of Marcus Kolga and Laas Leivat in circulating the figure of 40,000 Estonians living in Canada. This figure is probably promoted by them to enhance
their effort to lobby the Estonian government to establish a high level ministerial position and office and to offer one or two seats in parliament for representatives elected by the Estonian diaspora. In light of this campaign based on questionable figures served up as facts, I personally I think Estonia and Estonians are better served by a global broadening of Estonia's diplomatic corps. More importantly, let's also not forget that Estonians living in Canada, and elsewhere abroad for that matter, with valid Estonian ID cards and Estonian passports can already vote in Estonia's parliamentary elections and can also cast a vote for Estonian representatives in the EU parliamentary elections.