Canada wouldn’t grant asylum to Edward Snowden? You don’t say?

Edward Snowden, the man who leaked details of the U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance programs, has been granted asylum by Russia and is currently hiding from extradition to the U.S., where he would face charges of espionage.

He is being protected by President Vladimir Putin, on the condition he stop leaking information about surveillance programs secretly operated by the U.S. government. Snowden is seen by many, and not just the regular anti-establishment types, as a hero of sorts, lauded for standing up against a scurrilously overreaching surveillance program.

That would never fly in Canada. In a revelation that probably didn't need to be revealed, Canada’s foreign affairs minister has confirmed that Canada would never have granted Snowden asylum.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told the Canadian Press that the government has criticized Russia for its decision to protect Snowden.

"This is not something that Canada would have considered to do," Baird said. "It is an example where it does show Russia is a bit of an outlier in the G8."

[ Related: Canada criticizes Russian asylum for leaker Snowden ]

You can't disagree with Baird's take on Russia being a G8 outlier. It supported Syrian President Bashar Assad while the rest of the G8 countries opposed his regime. Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently called the group "G7 plus one."

There has even been some debate about expelling Russia from the collection of nations over, for one thing, its frequent antagonism of the U.S.

Russia's motives are transparent. Just as transparent is Canada's alliance with the U.S. on all issues related to security and surveillance.

Canadian security groups are said to be working in parallel with the NSA and it is certainly no secret that we approach our national defence in terms of "Canada and the U.S." Or, more specifically, "U.S. and its Canadian backpack."

[ Politics: Canada, Mexico part of U.S. ‘homeland’ in NSA Senate briefing ]

Recent reports suggest our national security agencies run investigations parallel to the NSA, possibly even the same type of meta-scrutiny the U.S. currently faces questions about.

It was uncovered in a recent investigation that the same organization, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), has the authority to exchange information with foreign partners, even if it will lead to the use of torture.

And the cherry on top? A U.S. senator recently identified Canada and Mexico as portions of the U.S. "homeland" while defending the NSA's top secret spying, crediting terror arrests made in each of the three countries in the same pot.

The secret is out. We are lying in America’s bed when it comes to surveillance programs and national security. So Baird's admission that Canada would never approve asylum for Snowden?

You don't need to run warrantless surveillance on his cell phone and email address to know that's the case.

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