UPDATE: 5:45 p.m.
After the publishing of this article Robert Mellalieu, Green Party candidate for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, reached out to give his comments on the issue.
He said the statement he made in the report by PressProgress was misinterpreted.
香蕉视频直播淚 will never waiver from a woman香蕉视频直播檚 right to choose,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 sacrosanct, absolute, never changing that.香蕉视频直播�
He clarified the statement he made saying he believes 香蕉视频直播渢here should not be a need for abortion香蕉视频直播� was in reference to the lack of systems in place to help women in extreme situations.
香蕉视频直播淚 hate abortion,香蕉视频直播� said Mellalieu. 香蕉视频直播淪o I want to make sure there香蕉视频直播檚 everything we do as a society to prevent the need for a woman to exercise that right.香蕉视频直播�
He went on to explain that more services and education are needed so that abortion can be a last resort option.
香蕉视频直播淏ut at all times, it香蕉视频直播檚 still her right to do that,香蕉视频直播� he said.
____________
The New Democratic Party has taken aim at two Okanagan Green Party candidates for comments made regarding abortion rights that were published by an online political outlet earlier this week.
In an Oct. 3 press release, the NDP pointed out several instances of anti-choice rhetoric from Green Party candidates across the country, including Robert Mellalieu (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) and Marc Reinarz (North Okanagan-Shuswap).
According to an exclusive report by , Mellalieu refused to identify as 香蕉视频直播減ro-choice香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播減ro-life香蕉视频直播� because 香蕉视频直播渋t is inappropriate to dilute the very complicated question of abortion to a simple binary answer.香蕉视频直播� He then summed up his thoughts: 香蕉视频直播淚 believe there should not be a need for abortion.香蕉视频直播�
The report also contains a comment from Reinarz, who said: 香蕉视频直播渁bortion must not be a means to birth control.香蕉视频直播�
In an interview with Black Press Media, Reinarz said his sentiment is being misconstrued.
香蕉视频直播淭his is not anti-abortion,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淢y standpoint is absolutely not anti-abortion香蕉视频直播� I openly state that I don香蕉视频直播檛 think its right to use abortion as a primary (method of) birth control. But who am I as a man in his 60s to decide what the consequences are if (a woman) doesn香蕉视频直播檛 follow her mind?香蕉视频直播�
Mellalieu could not be reached for comment but the Green Party candidate from the neighbouring riding of Kelowna-Lake Country provided his thoughts on the issue.
香蕉视频直播�(Mellalieu香蕉视频直播檚) statement is pretty politically neutral,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淚 think what he might be saying is that if there were better social services in place, better ability for single moms to access affordable housing and they could make the decision to bring a child into this life knowing that they香蕉视频直播檇 be well taken care of, maybe there might not be such a need for abortion as there is now under the current system.香蕉视频直播�
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READ MORE: Conservatives pulling ahead of Liberals in Kelowna-Lake Country riding
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May called the NDP香蕉视频直播檚 attempt to point fingers at candidates 香蕉视频直播渄esperate.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not the case,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e are looking for details. We have no details about what they claim. We just know it is not true.香蕉视频直播�
When asked about what freedoms Greens will have when it comes to speaking about abortion, May said the party is asking candidates to 香蕉视频直播渁scribe香蕉视频直播� to the party香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渃ore values香蕉视频直播� and its policy and platform.
香蕉视频直播淭here is a lot of room for people to move around on some issues,香蕉视频直播� she said.
But if would-be candidates have problems with abortion, she said they cannot run.
香蕉视频直播淎s leader of the party, I don香蕉视频直播檛 have the power to whip votes香蕉视频直播� we think whipping votes is anti-democratic. But I am quite confident that our candidates support the party香蕉视频直播檚 position, which that we mustn香蕉视频直播檛 retreat on a woman香蕉视频直播檚 right for a safe and legal abortion.
香蕉视频直播淭he bad old days of women dying in back-alley abortions must never return.香蕉视频直播�
May said the party did out would-be candidates because of their position on abortion.
香蕉视频直播淲e actually had one person nominated, who we had to ask to stand down.香蕉视频直播�
May said she felt bad about that decision because she was a very impressive candidate.
香蕉视频直播淏ut she said that she couldn香蕉视频直播檛 go along with it香蕉视频直播o we did have some people removed well before the NDP tried to pretend that there was an issue. And they have candidates who don香蕉视频直播檛 always agree with their positions. They whip votes; we don香蕉视频直播檛.香蕉视频直播�
READ MORE: Finalized ballot for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola will have six names
Abortion policy was a focus of Wednesday night香蕉视频直播檚 french debate. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer spent Thursday clarifying that he has no plans to reopen debates on abortion law, despite being 香蕉视频直播減ersonally pro-life.香蕉视频直播�
May called the abortion issue a media one, calling it 香蕉视频直播渕anufactured.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 hear it all from the public,香蕉视频直播� she said.
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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