Did Canada turn a blind eye to torture of Afghan detainees?
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Canada's minority government is refusing to release documents that could show whether it turned a blind eye to the torture of detainees in Afghan prisons.
Parliament had passed a motion calling for the documents to be released but the government cites concerns over security as the reason to ignore the parliamentary vote.
The issue is over whether senior government and military officials turned a blind eye to the torture of detainees in Afghan prisons who were transferred there by Canadian soldiers.
International Trade minister Stockwell Day says the government is legally barred from turning over sensitive information about the Afghan mission but parliament's own law expert says that argument is absurd.
The opposition motion passed 145 to 143 and by ignoring it, the government could be found in contempt, setting the stage for a possible legal challenge, and more heated debate when Parliament resumes in January.
For now Prime minister Harper has ducked the issue and has the Christmas Break to come up with a new strategy.
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On Pacific Beat tomorrow:
Every year, thousands of PNG nationals cross legally into Australia's Torres Strait, without passports, for so-called traditional visits. But the Torres Strait Regional Authority warns others are also crossing the under-policed border.
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