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Fredericton chapter hosts all-candidates meeting for Sept. 22 provincial election


Fredericton

Photo: All-candidates public forum in Fredericton last night. Photo by Joan Green.

Last night, the Council of Canadians Fredericton chapter held an all-candidates town hall meeting for the provincial riding of Fredericton South. Candidates from five political parties were present to hear concerns and answer questions from the audience of about 190 people.

The provincial election takes place on September 22.

The province is currently governed by Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward (his party holds 41 seats in the 55 seat Legislature), while the Liberals under Brian Gallant have 13 seats. Dominic Cardy and the New Democrats are without a seat.

Town hall meetingThe Huffington Post reports, “Brian Gallant’s Liberals are on track for a big victory in New Brunswick’s provincial election, according to two new polls. The latest numbers from Corporate Research Associates (CRA) come from a poll conducted between August 19-31 and interviewing 800 New Brunswickers via the telephone. They show the Liberals leading with 48 per cent support, with the governing Progressive Conservatives of David Alward behind at 29 per cent. The New Democrats under Dominic Cardy are third with 17 per cent.”

Fracking has been a key issue in this election. Premier Alward supports fracking and sees it as part of his economic strategy for the province. Liberal leader Gallant has promised a moratorium on fracking and development, though he has not been specific about how long that moratorium would be in place. NDP leader Cardy is also opposed to fracking and has said that he would issue a ministerial letter suspending the licenses of fracking companies should his party form the government. The Green Party also supports an immediate halt to shale gas development in the province.

With a 19 point lead in the polls, it’s worth noting what the likely next premier of the province has to say about fracking. Gallant says, “Their [the Alward government’s] fixation with fracking is concerning too — they’re putting all their eggs in one basket. Meanwhile, we lack information to fully understand the potential risks fracking poses to our water, environment and health. …We should not blindly take on this risk when there are other options to create jobs.”

If Gallant wins, his new government will be on a deadline to act on this stated commitment. It is expected that Houston-based SWN Resources will return to New Brunswick in the summer of 2015 to drill exploratory wells for fracking.