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TORONTO, November 21, 2001 (LSN.ca) – Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer, an as yet undeclared candidate for leader of the Ontario Conservative party, has told the press she supports abortion. After being questioned on the issue by the media Witmer said, “I believe it is up to each individual, and I respect the decision that each woman will make in this regard.”

Liberal MPP George Smitherman attempted to paint Witmer as wavering on abortion as he put out a press release claiming “Elizabeth Witmer wants to kick-start a divisive, province-wide debate on abortion.” Smitherman is stretching the truth since such a referendum is by no means a plan of Witmer’s. She merely answered a Campaign Life Coalition questionnaire in 1995 where she agreed to a suggestion that the public decide on funding for abortion.

Interestingly Campaign Life Coalition received a request for the information from the Ontario Legislative library, indicating that an MPP had requested the information, and did not want to enquire directly. Mary Ellen Douglas, President of Campaign Life Coalition Ontario told LifeSite that certain anti-life and anti-family MPPs are “nervous about what we are doing and that’s just the way we’re going to keep them.”

Smitherman, a homosexual activist MPP, used inflammatory language and reckless political labelling in his release which pro-life leaders consider to be rather hysterical. “Elizabeth Witmer’s plan for a referendum on abortion funding would tear our society apart,” said Smitherman. “This kind of extreme position I would expect from Stockwell Day, not Elizabeth Witmer.”“I don’t understand how a woman who wants a referendum on abortion can call herself a moderate.”

Smitherman’s representatives failed to return repeated calls from LifeSite.

See the Globe and Mail and Smitherman’s release on Witmer:  https://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?tf=tgam/common/SearchFullStoryPrint.html&cf=tgam/common/GenericSearch.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&encoded_keywords=abortion&option={194}{164}t_row=2&start_row=2&num_rows=1&search_results_start=1 https://www.newswire.ca/releases/November2001/19/c8704.html