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.

91裸聊视频淚 will never waiver from a woman91裸聊视频檚 right to choose,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 sacrosanct, absolute, never changing that.91裸聊视频�

He clarified the statement he made saying he believes 91裸聊视频渢here should not be a need for abortion91裸聊视频� was in reference to the lack of systems in place to help women in extreme situations.

91裸聊视频淚 hate abortion,91裸聊视频� said Mellalieu. 91裸聊视频淪o I want to make sure there91裸聊视频檚 everything we do as a society to prevent the need for a woman to exercise that right.91裸聊视频�

He went on to explain that more services and education are needed so that abortion can be a last resort option.

91裸聊视频淏ut at all times, it91裸聊视频檚 still her right to do that,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频減ro-choice91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频減ro-life91裸聊视频� because 91裸聊视频渋t is inappropriate to dilute the very complicated question of abortion to a simple binary answer.91裸聊视频� He then summed up his thoughts: 91裸聊视频淚 believe there should not be a need for abortion.91裸聊视频�

The report also contains a comment from Reinarz, who said: 91裸聊视频渁bortion must not be a means to birth control.91裸聊视频�

In an interview with Black Press Media, Reinarz said his sentiment is being misconstrued.

91裸聊视频淭his is not anti-abortion,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淢y standpoint is absolutely not anti-abortion91裸聊视频� I openly state that I don91裸聊视频檛 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) doesn91裸聊视频檛 follow her mind?91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频�(Mellalieu91裸聊视频檚) statement is pretty politically neutral,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淚 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 they91裸聊视频檇 be well taken care of, maybe there might not be such a need for abortion as there is now under the current system.91裸聊视频�

READ MORE: Stolen plaques to be restored at Kelowna cemetery

READ MORE: Conservatives pulling ahead of Liberals in Kelowna-Lake Country riding

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May called the NDP91裸聊视频檚 attempt to point fingers at candidates 91裸聊视频渄esperate.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not the case,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淲e are looking for details. We have no details about what they claim. We just know it is not true.91裸聊视频�

When asked about what freedoms Greens will have when it comes to speaking about abortion, May said the party is asking candidates to 91裸聊视频渁scribe91裸聊视频� to the party91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渃ore values91裸聊视频� and its policy and platform.

91裸聊视频淭here is a lot of room for people to move around on some issues,91裸聊视频� she said.

But if would-be candidates have problems with abortion, she said they cannot run.

91裸聊视频淎s leader of the party, I don91裸聊视频檛 have the power to whip votes91裸聊视频� we think whipping votes is anti-democratic. But I am quite confident that our candidates support the party91裸聊视频檚 position, which that we mustn91裸聊视频檛 retreat on a woman91裸聊视频檚 right for a safe and legal abortion.

91裸聊视频淭he bad old days of women dying in back-alley abortions must never return.91裸聊视频�

May said the party did out would-be candidates because of their position on abortion.

91裸聊视频淲e actually had one person nominated, who we had to ask to stand down.91裸聊视频�

May said she felt bad about that decision because she was a very impressive candidate.

91裸聊视频淏ut she said that she couldn91裸聊视频檛 go along with it91裸聊视频�so we did have some people removed well before the NDP tried to pretend that there was an issue. And they have candidates who don91裸聊视频檛 always agree with their positions. They whip votes; we don91裸聊视频檛.91裸聊视频�

READ MORE: Finalized ballot for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola will have six names

Abortion policy was a focus of Wednesday night91裸聊视频檚 french debate. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer spent Thursday clarifying that he has no plans to reopen debates on abortion law, despite being 91裸聊视频減ersonally pro-life.91裸聊视频�

May called the abortion issue a media one, calling it 91裸聊视频渕anufactured.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 hear it all from the public,91裸聊视频� she said.

michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .