By Canadian Press

Green Leader Elizabeth May losing respect for NDP’s Singh over ‘fake stories’

Oct 5, 2019 | 1:37 PM

VICTORIA — Green Leader Elizabeth May took aim at Jagmeet Singh Thursday, saying she’s losing patience and respect for the New Democrat leader and accusing him of spreading false information.

May made the comments at a news conference in Victoria after announcing her party’s plans to reform seniors’ policy.

“It’s disappointing, honestly,” she said. “I thought more of him. We haven’t been gunning to hurt the NDP but they seem to be training most of their fire on creating fake stories about us. I have great patience and I try to find a wellspring of love and compassion for all, but Mr. Singh is straining my patience.”

She said Singh falsely stated the Greens are wobbly on abortion rights, weak on national unity and prepared to prop up a possible minority Conservative government.

May said the Greens support a woman’s right to choose and are steadfast in their support for a united Canada, and the party does not rule out talking to other parties in a minority Parliament, even though Green and Conservative policies diverge on many issues.

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She said every Green party candidate supports a women’s right to an abortion and she called on Singh and the NDP to drop attempts to link the abortion debate to her party.

“We vetted everybody,” said May. “They support the Green party policy that we will never retreat one inch from a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion. I call on Mr. Singh to be honest about this. It’s not honourable. I’m losing respect for Mr. Singh.”

The New Democrats issued a statement Thursday questioning May’s vetting of candidates on the abortion issue. The NDP named Greg de Luca (Brossard-Saint-Lambert), Marc Reinarz (North Okanagan-Shuswap) and Robert Mellalieu (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) as Green candidates who have anti-abortion leanings.

“Elizabeth May and (Conservative Leader) Andrew Scheer have said they will allow a free vote on abortion, while Jagmeet Singh and (Liberal Leader) Justin Trudeau have said they will insist MPs support the right to choose,” the NDP statement said.

May said her New Democrat opponent also appears focused on attacking her party at every opportunity to try to convince voters that a vote for the Greens effectively supports Scheer’s Conservatives. She said if there is a minority Parliament after the election all party leaders will have to meet as part of the process of determining who will form government.

“They’ve twisted what I said to try to mislead voters,” said May.

The Greens decided not to run a candidate in a byelection Singh won earlier this year in the riding of Burnaby South as a show of courtesy, without which May said Singh would have had a harder time earning a seat in the House of Commons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2019.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press