Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says he intends to send a clear message when he talks to U.S. President Donald Trump's team: Canada doesn't condone torture.

"We need to be very clear on this point. Torture is contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it's contrary to the Canadian Constitution, it's a violation of the Criminal Code, it's inconsistent with virtually every international treaty Canada has ever signed, including the Geneva Conventions, and most importantly Canadians find it abhorrent and we'll never condone it. Period," he told CBC Radio's The House.

In one of his first interviews after assuming office, Trump told ABC News he embraced torture as a way to "fight fire with fire."

"I have spoken... with people at the highest level of intelligence. And I asked them the question, 'Does it work? Does torture work?' And the answer was, 'Yes, absolutely,'" Trump said.

Later in the week he eased off, saying he'll let his defense secretary James Mattis, who has come out against such interrogation tactics, override him.

"I don't necessarily agree, but I would tell you that he will override because I am giving him that power," Trump said during a joint conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday.

"I happen to feel it does work. I have been open for a long period of time. We are going to win with or without, but I do disagree."

Any use of torture would put pressure on the intelligence community. Canada shares information with the United States as members of the Five Eyes alliance that also includes the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

"I will certainly do so when the occasion arises," said Goodale when asked if he'll raise the issue of torture with the new administration.

"​There is no change here. This has been the clear cut position of the government of Canada for a very long time."

The Saskatchewan MP said his officials are in the process of setting up a first conversation with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. John Kelly, the new secretary of homeland security.

Donald Trump's agenda could have a big impact on Canada's intelligence community. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale joins us to discuss. 11:14

Kevin O'Leary: Justin Trudeau needs to 'pivot' policies under Trump:

Conservative leadership candidate Kevin O'Leary says that PM Justin Trudeau should wait to see what Donald Trump does in the US before committing to the next federal budget. 0:48

Investor-turned-reality-television-star-turned-Conservative leadership candidate Kevin O'Leary says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to "pivot" Canada's economic and environmental policies now that Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office.

"Here we are driving into a budget before we even know what's happening with our largest competitor and trading partner. It seems sort of ass backwards," he told The House.

"I would have waited to see what the policies are south of the border on tax, corporate and personal, on trade, definitely on deregulation and on carbon. We have to be competitive."

Trump's priorities are crystallizing in his first week in office. So far he's signed about a dozen executive orders and memoranda that include pulling out of the Trans Pacific Partnership, reviving the Keystone XL pipeline and increasing border security.

O'Leary says even though Trudeau was elected more than a year before Trump, the Liberal government should repeal some core pillars of its mandate, including the incoming carbon pricing plan.

"That's what great leaders do. When the facts change, when the environment changes, when the world shifts, you pivot," he said.

"When I get there in 2019 every single policy that [Trudeau] put in place regarding what makes us competitive or not will be repealed by me. All of it."

Investor-turned-reality-television-star-turned-Conservative leadership candidate Kevin O'Leary says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to "pivot" Canada's economic and environmental policies now that Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office. 15:19

U.S. and China: Canada can "walk and chew gum at the same time," says John McCallum

Former Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum is about to become Canada's ambassador to China. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Canada's next ambassador to China says this country can "walk and chew gum at the same time," by establishing friendly relationships with U.S. President Donald Trump while at the same time maintaining healthy relations with the Chinese leadership.

Former immigration minister John McCallum is heading to China at the same time as Canada begins exploratory talks on a free trade deal with the country. The beginning of those talks are set against a backdrop of rising tensions between the U.S. and China as Trump threatens to levy tariffs on Chinese imports.

Asked by The House host Chris Hall if Canada risks getting caught up in a tug of war between the two economic superpowers, McCallum expressed optimism.

"As I say we can walk and chew gum at the same time," McCallum said. "The United States relationship is by far and away the most important, and the prime minister is actively pursuing that along with his cabinet, but meanwhile over in China, I am pursuing Canadian interests and values and I believe there is great scope there."

Despite Trump's anti-China rhetoric, McCallum says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hasn't altered his objectives for relations with China.

"I think [Trudeau] is very clear that we want to pursue stronger ties with China," he said. "We think that in the medium term this will lead to more Canadian jobs."

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, the former international trade minister, said the first round of exploratory face-to-face talks with China on free trade will begin next month.

McCallum wouldn't hazard a guess on when a deal will be signed, but said hopefully it will take Canada less time than Australia did to strike its free trade agreement with China, which came into force in December of 2015.

"Australians, may I remind you, took 10 years to complete such a deal. I think now that we have Australia as something of a model, or template, it might take less than 10 years," he said. "I can't say for sure."

Canada's next ambassador to China says this country can "walk and chew gum at the same time," by establishing friendly relationships with U.S. President Donald Trump while at the same time maintaining healthy relations with the Chinese leadership. 10:24

Super Bowl ads in Canada: a political football

Canadians TV watchers may get to see those U.S. advertisements that air during the Super Bowl after all, following a recent court decision. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

The New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons aren't the only two sides lining up for a fight on Super Bowl Sunday.

The National Football League says the Donald Trump administration is now aware of its ongoing dispute with Canada's broadcast regulator surrounding the ban on the substitution of Canadian ads over American ones during the upcoming Super Bowl.

This year's game will be the first time Canadians tuning into Fox will be able to watch those much-anticipated, big-budget American spots during the championship game. Canadian ads will still play on CTV.

But the the CRTC's decision to wade into business contract has angered Bell Media, which owns CTV and exclusive rights in Canada to the NFL championship through to 2019, Canadian advertisers and the league itself.

Mohamed Sanu of the Atlanta Falcons, left, attempts to break a tackle by Julius Peppers of the Green Bay Packers, during October, NFL action, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"We have raised this with all levels of government here in the U.S. and Canada. This is on the Trump administration's radar," Jocelyn Moore, the NFL's senior vice-president of public policy and government affairs, told The House.

"We are very, very hopeful that this will be resolved before the Super Bowl."

Moore says she understands how popular the American commercials are, but argues the heart of the dispute is with a public tribunal interfering in a contact between two businesses.

"Look, if any American company, whether they're in Canada already or seeking to do business with Canada, when they look at this example of two entities, one U.S and one Canadian, entering into a contract and then that contract in the middle is kind of retroactively undermined, I think they have to question the lack of business certainty in Canada," said Moore.

Besides alerting the new administration, the NFL has also written to David MacNaughton, Canada's ambassador to the U.S. And before handing in his keys, outing U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland urging the Canadian government to overturn the ban, pointing to a section of the Broadcasting Act allowing the governor-in-council to overturn a decision of the CRTC.

Heritage Minister Melanie Joly has said the Liberal government will respect the CRTC's independence.

The ongoing legal battle threatens to poke Canada-U.S. relations in the first few weeks of Trump's presidency.

"It's a real big question mark and a real challenge to businesses like ours who are already in Canada but certainly businesses looking to do business with Canada. I think it's a real problem," said Moore.

Jocelyn Moore,Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for the NFL, hopes the Super Bowl ads issue will be resolved before game day. 7:38

In House: The beginning of the Trudeau-Trump relationship

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been under fire for taking part in so-called 'cash-for-access' fundraisers. A Liberal source confirms the government will move to make the events more transparent and accountable to Canadians. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Besides signing executive orders, Donald Trump's found time to fit in the first meeting with a foreign politician. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May crossed the Atlantic this week, and a similar offer has been extended to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

So how should Trudeau advocate for Canada without setting off a a man who's easily annoyed?

"I think by repeating numbers, a lot of numbers," said Joël-Denis Bellavance, Ottawa bureau chief for La Presse, referring to the millions of jobs that depend on a strong U.S.-Canada commercial relationship.

"I wouldn't get bogged down in a big philosophical views of the world with Mr. Trump. Keep it very simple with him."​

Mia Rabson, the Parliament Hill bureau chief for the Winnipeg Free Press, said Canada will still need to be cognisant of the differences, such the two countries' approaches to Syrian refugees.

"I can't imagine that there's not going to be Americans who are going to be concerned about what might come over the Canadian border and they're going to use that against Canada," she said.

"Trudeau can't back down on that because that's something Canadians in general are proud of."

Domestically the Liberals are tightening the rules around the so-called cash-for-access fundraisers that landed them in hot water before the Christmas break.

"I think it's intended to finally close down debate on something that has probably has been the biggest issue for Trudeau in terms of his popularity, said Ranson. "In many ways I'm kind of wondering why it took them so long to get this to this point. Because they let this fester."

Bellavance says the irony of the new changes is they're being introduced to address the Liberal's own conduct.

"The easiest solution for Mr. Trudeau would be to do away with those kinds of activities and reintroduce political subsidies for political parties."