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.

害羞草研究所淚 will never waiver from a woman害羞草研究所檚 right to choose,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 sacrosanct, absolute, never changing that.害羞草研究所�

He clarified the statement he made saying he believes 害羞草研究所渢here should not be a need for abortion害羞草研究所� was in reference to the lack of systems in place to help women in extreme situations.

害羞草研究所淚 hate abortion,害羞草研究所� said Mellalieu. 害羞草研究所淪o I want to make sure there害羞草研究所檚 everything we do as a society to prevent the need for a woman to exercise that right.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淏ut at all times, it害羞草研究所檚 still her right to do that,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所減ro-choice害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所減ro-life害羞草研究所� because 害羞草研究所渋t is inappropriate to dilute the very complicated question of abortion to a simple binary answer.害羞草研究所� He then summed up his thoughts: 害羞草研究所淚 believe there should not be a need for abortion.害羞草研究所�

The report also contains a comment from Reinarz, who said: 害羞草研究所渁bortion must not be a means to birth control.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淭his is not anti-abortion,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淢y standpoint is absolutely not anti-abortion害羞草研究所� I openly state that I don害羞草研究所檛 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害羞草研究所檛 follow her mind?害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所�(Mellalieu害羞草研究所檚) statement is pretty politically neutral,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 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害羞草研究所檇 be well taken care of, maybe there might not be such a need for abortion as there is now under the current system.害羞草研究所�

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Green Party Leader Elizabeth May called the NDP害羞草研究所檚 attempt to point fingers at candidates 害羞草研究所渄esperate.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not the case,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e are looking for details. We have no details about what they claim. We just know it is not true.害羞草研究所�

When asked about what freedoms Greens will have when it comes to speaking about abortion, May said the party is asking candidates to 害羞草研究所渁scribe害羞草研究所� to the party害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渃ore values害羞草研究所� and its policy and platform.

害羞草研究所淭here is a lot of room for people to move around on some issues,害羞草研究所� she said.

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

害羞草研究所淎s leader of the party, I don害羞草研究所檛 have the power to whip votes害羞草研究所� we think whipping votes is anti-democratic. But I am quite confident that our candidates support the party害羞草研究所檚 position, which that we mustn害羞草研究所檛 retreat on a woman害羞草研究所檚 right for a safe and legal abortion.

害羞草研究所淭he bad old days of women dying in back-alley abortions must never return.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淲e actually had one person nominated, who we had to ask to stand down.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淏ut she said that she couldn害羞草研究所檛 go along with it害羞草研究所�so we did have some people removed well before the NDP tried to pretend that there was an issue. And they have candidates who don害羞草研究所檛 always agree with their positions. They whip votes; we don害羞草研究所檛.害羞草研究所�

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

Abortion policy was a focus of Wednesday night害羞草研究所檚 french debate. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer spent Thursday clarifying that he has no plans to reopen debates on abortion law, despite being 害羞草研究所減ersonally pro-life.害羞草研究所�

May called the abortion issue a media one, calling it 害羞草研究所渕anufactured.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 hear it all from the public,害羞草研究所� she said.

michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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