Canadians are about to become even safer, and we have the brutalization of international prisoners to thank for it!

It appears Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has sneakily given the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency the A-OK “the authority to use and share information that was likely extracted through torture,” according to the Winnipeg Free Press. CSIS was given the thumbs up to do so last summer.

According to the Globe and Mail,

“The government directives state that protection of life and property are the chief considerations when deciding on the use of information that may have been derived from torture.

They also outline instructions for deciding whether to share information when there is a “substantial risk” that doing so might result in someone in custody being abused.”

Hey Vic, what exactly is going on here? While you and your ministry are going to great lengths to stress that Canadians won’t be tortured, or do any torturing, to protect “life and property” here in the Great White North, it’s no skin off your back if information our used by CSIS, the RCMP, and the Canada Border Services - none of whom would ever think of abusing their own powers - is “likely extracted through torture.”

If that seems inconsistent, remember that this is the same government that abolished the long-form census and the long-gun registry in the name of “privacy,” and then came up with an ill-conceived “Internet surveillance” bill that did nothing but violate citizens’ privacy — so is it any surprise that they can’t make their minds up about torture?

Then again, Vic’s personal behaviour has been known to be wildly at odds with his proclaimed values, so this latest monkey-business should come as no surprise to Canadians.

With any luck, ol’ Vic’s vile presence in the House of Commons may soon be a thing of the past. Word around Ottawa is he’s up for a long-desired seat on the Manitoba Court of Appeal as a judge. Good news for Canadians, bad news for Manitobans (myself included). Well, you can’t win ‘em all, eh?