The party that styles itself as the custodian of law-and-order and the keeper of Canadian values is also the party that — when it suits its needs — sees no evil and hears no evil.

The Conservative party of Canada, most significantly its Toronto ministers and MPs, is now defined by its silence over the tumultuous train wreck known as Rob Ford in the past two weeks.

“Conservative values are Canadian values. Canadian values are conservative values,’’ Stephen Harper told us after he won his 2011 majority.

But watching those “values” daily trashed by a man his party embraced, Harper has remained silent. He has done what he so often does. He has merely made himself unavailable to any Canadian journalist while chaos engulfed Ford.

Harper’s silence will be tested Monday when he lands in the middle of the Ford circus for a meeting with his Toronto-and-area MPs.

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The party known for its tough stance on those who break laws, or merely misbehave, has found nothing but hugs and compassion for their fellow Conservative.

They have created their very own hug-a-thug program, as long as that is a thug with whom they so closely aligned themselves for political reasons. The Conservatives will not risk alienating what is left of Ford Nation, even if it is the last man or woman standing.

Cities are creatures of the provinces, but MPs and cabinet ministers in Toronto have a responsibility to speak out when the city is in turmoil, and regardless of the mockery this city has endured elsewhere in Canada and around the globe, turmoil was the only word to describe last week’s sad spectacle.

Ford has been shunned by Santa Claus, the Toronto Argonauts, Iceberg Vodka, his former loyal staffers and city council.

But Conservatives only want to talk about Justin Trudeau, who admitted to smoking a joint at a dinner party and wants to legalize marijuana.

In a leap of logic that is frankly dumbfounding, Justice Minister Peter MacKay tried to equate Trudeau’s joint smoking with Ford’s litany of self-confessed crimes, ranging from crack cocaine smoking, purchasing drugs and drinking and driving.

He wasn’t the only Conservative to tie himself into a pretzel on the Ford question.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose, a woman so unrelenting in her war on drug use she cut off heroin for addicts in treatment, now has nothing but hugs for a self-confessed crack cocaine user.

“It is a touchy subject only because none of us want to pass judgment on someone who is going through a very difficult time,’’ Ambrose said in Calgary Friday.

One-time tough cop, Julian Fantino, now the veterans affairs minister? More hugs.

“I look at it as a humanity issue,’’ he told his local newspaper. “I’ve been involved in my whole career (in policing and politics) in dealing with situations where people, for whatever reason, get into serious personal difficulties and family difficulties. I’ve looked at it strictly from a human dynamic point of view.’’

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Immigration Minister Chris Alexander came closer to an answer when he said his government, is not fans of “anyone who is promoting, by their behaviour, the use of illegal drugs, drugs that are harmful and drugs that are illegal.’’

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt sat beside Ford at a Remembrance Day ceremony, but whether it was the rain or proximity to the disgraced mayor, she looked miserable in photos. Still, she said nothing.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the GTA political minister, teared up when asked about Ford, a family friend, but said nothing substantive.

But Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, a senior Toronto minister, won the pretzel prize.

In the midst of last week’s Ford follies, Oliver appeared on CBC’s Power and Politics and was asked by host Evan Solomon about the unbelievable event of the day in his city.

“This is a sad and difficult situation but I have nothing to add,’’ Oliver offered.

When pressed on to whether he might have a view as an MP from Toronto, Oliver served up a civics lesson.

“Well, they are different levels of government, they are elected separately and they each have their different constitutional responsibilities and we respect the constitutional division of powers.’’

Really?

No matter. Liberal drug talk is bad. Conservative drug use is a family matter.

Harper and his Conservatives did not create the Ford mess, they merely wanted to benefit from his political machine again in 2015.

Enough with the hugs for a man who has repeatedly lied and embarrassed a city he professes to love.

Until one federal Conservative mixes the compassion with a call for Ford to resign, the federal party brand includes hypocrisy.

Tim Harper is a national affairs writer. His column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. tharper@thestar.ca Twitter:@nutgraf1

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