Elizabeth May, leader of Canada's Green Party, clearly states her party's position in a December 22, 2006 response to Judy Rebick's open letter regarding May's convoluted statements regarding abortion.

"Is the Green Party strongly in favour of a woman's right to access a safe and legal abortion? Yes."

Because I have never given the Green Party any serious consideration, I always assumed they were the "tree hugging environmentalist PETA-type" activists. It is ironic how these types claim to "love the world" and "hate violence", unless it concerns a women's "right to choose". How can the Green Party support abortion, which is the ultimate act of violence against a human, and yet claim to be "conservationists and trusted guardians of Canada’s natural wealth" (taken from their own website)? The future wealth of our country lies with our next generation; if we continue to kill them off, where does that leave us?"

Am I personally strongly in favour of a woman's right to access a safe and legal abortion? Yes. (In fact, I am concerned that there is progress to be made to ensure access through enhancing availability of abortion providers. More work needs to be done to ensure access.) "

How does May intend on ensuring the availability of abortion providers? If she fully believes that the "interests of Canadian citizens must always take precedence", she should pay attention to the overwhelming majority that do not believe that abortion is a necessary medical procedure, especially if it means their tax dollars are paying for this "service". Does the Green Party intend to force medical students to provide abortion services? How does this comply with their respect of "diversity"? The Green Party also claims to be concerned that "Canada’s changing demographic reality will place greater burdens on our society". They should be aware, then, that Canada is currently in a negative population growth, and to overcome this , perhaps they should be looking at a system that rewards and encourages child-bearing to sustain our economy in the future. Building healthy communities and a healthy country means offering stronger support to the building blocks of society: healthy families."

As a practicing Christian, I hate being told I am not “pro-life” because I support a legal right to abortion. I favour access to safe and legal abortions as an aspect of my respect for life. As we know and your letter notes, otherwise, women will die. The status of a foetus before birth is debatable in terms of when the potential for life crystallizes as human life."

Ms. May claims the status of a fetus before birth is debatable. Science long ago established that life begins the moment an egg is fertilized by a sperm, that is at the moment of conception. There is no debate on this; it is proven scientific fact. Humans are "life with potential", not "potential for life"! And no, Ms. May, you cannot consider yourself "pro-life" if you support a legal right to abortion. Abortion is about taking a life; that's about as un "pro-life" as you can get!! You hate being told you're not "pro-life"? Maybe you should reconsider your thinking, then!

"If we could focus on what we want as a society, that might bring us closer together. We would want every pregnancy to be a wanted pregnancy and every child to be a wanted child."
I have never understood the "every child a wanted child" mantra of the planned parenthood ilk. Ask anyone who is looking to adopt a child (and can't afford a third-world county jaunt). The waiting lists to adopt children in North America are horrendous. People are going to Asia and the Ukraine because the waiting lists here are up to 7 years long! Why? Because women are being told that the baby they are carrying is a disposable commodity. We need to foster a healthy respect for life as a society, or our society will fall apart.

In their "respect for diversity", the Green Party claims to "defend the right of all persons, without discrimination, to an environment supportive of their dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being." Is the Green Party hypocritical in what they actually believe, or do they simply not know what they believe in? Either way, Elizabeth May has brought to light for many that this party cannot be taken seriously in their so called "respect of life".