NDP candidate promises moratorium on fracking by Jonathan Fowlie, April 29, 2013, Vancouver Sun
The BC Liberal Party has released comments by an NDP candidate in Cariboo-Chilcotin from last week saying an NDP government would impose a two-year moratorium on fracking to allow for a scientific review. “The position of the NDP is that there will be a moratorium put on fracking for the next two years while the science will be brought together to find out the effect, if anything, that fracking has on the water table,” the NDP’s Charlie Wyse told an all-candidates meeting on Friday in Bridge Lake. Energy minister Rich Coleman said this shows the NDP will drive billions of investment from the province. “Now I know they really don’t care about LNG in B.C.,” he said Monday. But NDP Leader Adrian Dix says Wyse made a mistake and repeated his position that the NDP would order a review of the science on fracking but while the review is underway, fracking would continue. Dix’s environmental platform includes opposing the expansion of pipelines, eliminating the Pacific Carbon Trust, and expanding B.C.’s carbon tax to cover emissions emitted by oil and gas operations. [Emphasis added]
NDP says Wyse ‘misspoke’; party does not support moratorium on fracking by Kate Webb, April 29, 2013, metronews
NDP Leader Adrian Dix said Monday that Cariboo-Chilcotin candidate Charlie Wyse “misspoke” in a debate in Bridge Lake on Friday when he said his party supports a two-year moratorium on natural gas fracking. “The words we’ve expressed for a number of years are clear that we don’t support a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing,” the Opposition leader said. “We do support a review. We are concerned about issues around water use and we will conduct that should we be elected based on the science.” Dix said natural gas extractors would be able to conduct business as usual while the province awaits the results of the review. The Liberals sent out a press release Monday accusing the NDP of hiding a secret agenda to “kill an industry that is helping to drive the B.C. economy.” [Emphasis added]