Tony Huntjens likens Premier David Alward's stance on this issue to the attempted sale of NB Power by then Premier Shawn Graham which is considered a big reason why the Liberals were defeated in the last provincial election.
Huntjens tells CHSJ News the Alward Government isn't giving people a voice on this issue that will have long term ramifications and, in his view, will endanger groundwater because of all the chemicals that won't come back to the surface after fracturing.
He also says it's wrong to brand the opposition to shale gas development as extremists.
Huntjens also points out when the Premier was in opposition he said in the Legislature there were dangerous elements with fracking.
Last week, another former provincial conservative cabinet minister, Bud Bird was critical of the Alward Government for arbitrarily changing natural gas regulations that govern Enbridge Gas.
