Canadian Auditor Concerned Citizens' Information Leaked to U.S.

N.S. auditor concerned citizens information could be leaked to U.S. agencies

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia's auditor general says he has concerns that personal information about the province's citizens could be sent to the American government under provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act.

In the final report of his 14-year tenure, Roy Salmon says a company used to store backup tapes of Nova Scotia government information is a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of a U.S. corporation.

Under provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act, the American government can require that information held by a U.S. company be delivered to U.S. security agencies.

Salmon says the province refused to provide a full copy of an intergovernmental review that assesses the risks of information leaking to American security agencies.

He says he was told by the province that it is satisfied that won't occur.

But Salmon says he's "still concerned; given the USA's reputation in recent years for torture, which they call by the fancy name 'extraordinary rendition', do we want to risk Canadians getting swept up in something like that? I fear it will happen."

Copyright 2006 Canadian Press

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