Fredericton — As the combustible debate around hydraulic fracturing is reignited at the legislature this week, the new populist Conservative party is laying out its conditions to support the resumption of fracking in New Brunswick.
“Obviously, everyone agrees that explicit consent of the parties involved is critical,” said Alliance Leader Kris Austin. “But, we don’t think that goes far enough frankly. There’s been a lot of young companies involved in promiscuous drilling in the past, and we want to see that stopped.
“If municipalities and drilling companies are going to start fooling around and fracking, they need to be joined together in the eyes of the Lord,” preached Austin. “Before they start producing together, they need to get right with God first.”
On Wednesday, the opposition Liberals tabled legislation to entrench the existing fracking moratorium into law. While it’s fairly certain that the environmentalist Green Party will vote to keep the moratorium, the Tories need at least two of the People’s Alliance votes to block the ban.
Once again, the non-mainstream People’s Alliance party — whose platform gained the support of only 12.6 percent of the voters in the last election — has the power to decide this issue for the entire province.
“I mean, it’s not like we are against harmless flirting or even heavy petting — whatever that means,” Austin clarified. “I mean hey, we know this isn’t Victorian times. But, before any fluids get injected into any holes, there has got to be a covenant with the Almighty.
“Forget about getting a social licence, they need a marriage licence!” he concluded.