colin mayes, doesn't answer

Mayes ducks questions
vernon.kelownadailycourier.ca/archive/2006/01/12/stories/818_full.php4?latest_date=2006/01/12

It was a game of catch that Conservative candidate Colin Mayes refused to play. After bantering and fielding two questions on his personal stand on abortion, Conservative candidate Colin Mayes sat down, shook his head, and refused to answer a question from a Salmon Arm resident who challenged Mayes' accountability as mayor of that city

"I won't answer that," said Mayes to the Chamber moderator, Malcolm Dunn. "These guys are part of Alice Brown's group," he added. "It's sad, really. They're just making her look bad." One of the first questions from the public at this week's forum was on the de-funding of abortion. When asked for his personal stand on the question, Mayes refused to answer, saying "What my personal opinion on abortion is, is my personal opinion." A second resident threw out the same question

"It's really critical that we know where you stand on abortion, since your party is big on free votes. I would like to know if you support de-funding abortion," the resident asked. After being booed for refusing to answer a second time, Mayes answered as he sat down, "you want my personal opinion on abortion? I'm pro-life. The state shouldn't necessarily pay for abortion." Later Mayes was accused of taking the moral high road, and still later, a resident said he had been involved in "a lot of capers" as mayor of Salmon Arm. Mayes refused to answer those questions as well, saying "When I was mayor I represented the community." Still more boos came from the audience when a resident questioned Mayes on his support of a Liberal candidate when he was mayor. Alice Brown (NDP) picked up the ball at that point, using her time to answer the question to instead point out that the Conservative candidate in the same election had been a woman. Later though, when asked what his personal stand was on education on homosexual matters, Mayes had no problem answering. "Sex education starts at home, and the government doesn't need to be involved in those types of topics," he said. After the forum, Mayes said he was disappointed in the way the questions had come. "It's sad this is the story," he said. "Those residents had a personal beef with me, and they brought it to the wrong place. They're just making Alice Brown look bad, because they're part of her camp."