Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

Abortion Debate

Abortion returns to election debate, both nationally and locally

Oct 3, 2019 | 4:46 AM

KAMLOOPS — The issue of a woman’s right to choose an abortion is making its way back into the federal election debate — including here in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.

Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer said Thursday he is personally pro-life, but vowed not to re-open the debate around abortion.

The Liberal Party and NDP are both pro-choice and will whip their MPs to support a woman’s right to choose on any parliamentary vote.

According to Press Progress, a pair of B.C. Interior Green candidates are not in agreement with leader Elizabeth May and their party’s official position.

Central Okanagan-Similameen-Nicola Green candidate Robert Mellalieu told Press Progress he does not identify as either “pro-choice” or “pro-life,” while North Okanagan-Shuswap candidate Marc Reinarz noted he is pro-choice, but said, “abortion must not be a means to birth control.”

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Speaking to CFJC’s Balance of Power, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo People’s Party candidate Ken Finlayson says he would like to see the abortion debate resurface in the House of Commons.

Finlayson said it is a matter of MPs being free to represent the will of their constituents.

“Regardless of what you feel about abortion, we have the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party — and all the parties on the left, I guess — who won’t debate it. And we have thousands, literally thousands and thousands of people who think that’s an issue,” said Finlayson.

“If your constituents think an issue needs to be raised, we think it’s incumbent on the MPs to raise that issue,” Finlayson continued. “This is not a game. We’re talking about people’s value systems here. I’m not talking about one side or the other, but it deserves to be talked about. Constituents deserve to have their concerns heard.”

Abortion has been completely legal in Canada since 1988.