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A common enemy is comforting in polarizing times. When we can’t agree on whether we’re supposed to fear or welcome refugees, or ramp up or retreat from Canada’s bombing campaign in Syria and Iraq, or swoon over or scoff at the innumerable selfies taken in the two-month tenure of our new prime minister, it’s nice to know that are one or two topics on which neighbours can safely opine as they engage in polite chit-chat from their respective driveways each morning:

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“G’morning, Bob. We sure got a lot of snow last night, huh?”

“Sure did. Thanks for the extra shovel. By the way, prisoners can choke on their mystery meat, right?”

“Absolutely. Have a great day.”

We might be split on selfies, but no one would stick up for convicts, right?

Premier Brad Wall tapped into that safe, rather uncontroversial sentiment last week when he shrugged off complaints of unpalatable — and inedible — food at Regina Correctional Centre in Saskatchewan. Inmates had been complaining about the quality of meals for months, and in particular since November, when Compass Group of Canada took over the food service at the facility. Prisoners say that they have been served raw eggs, frozen lunchmeats, foods with flies in them and watered-down powdered milk. Last Thursday, more than 100 inmates refused their meal trays as an act of protest.