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8 Tuesday June 2 2015 POLITICS ENERGY Way to go PWK Graduates 2015 Wallys Drugs Pharmacy . Souvenirs . Magazines . Newspapers Toys . Cards . Stationery . Lottery Ticket Centre Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday CLOSED 867-872-2134 Congratulations 2015 PWK Graduates We are confident you will continue to succeed in life. Keep up the good work. Kaesers Stores Fort Smith NT 867 872 - 2345 MLAs advise a step back on NWT fracking question Request for pre-election plebiscite raised in legislature By MEAGAN WOHLBERG MLAs are wondering if the NWT govern- ment is getting ahead of itself on the issue of fracking. Yellowknife MLAs Robert Hawkins and Wendy Bisaro said in the legislature last week that the territorial government should ensure residents want hydraulic fracturing in the ter- ritory before they worry about nalizing rules for oil and gas companies seeking to carry out the unconventional drilling practice. We need to ask the right questions. Its not about how we should do regulations on frac- turing but whether we should be fracking no matter what our conditions Hawkins said in the legislature last Thursday. This is like put- tingicingonacakeandweneveraskedthemif they like cake...and we are serving it to them. The government recently completed a terri- tory-wide public engagement tour on its new proposed regulations for companies apply- ing to frack in the NWT where the majority of the conversation swayed back to Northern- ers opinions on the practice in general rather than how the government should mitigate the environmental and public safety risks. Rather than continue to focus on the regu- lationsHawkinsrecommendedapre-election plebiscitetodeterminewhetherornotthepub- lic wants to see fracking happen in the NWT. Thoughthereferendum-likeprocesswouldnot be politically binding he said it would carry sufcient moral weight for the next assembly. You have to have a solid foundation before you build a house. Let us ask the question and have the courage to ask the question Should fracking happen in the Northwest Territories yes or no Hawkins said. Industry Tourism and Investment Minis- ter David Ramsay said that is not the ques- tion currently being asked by the GNWT. Dont we owe it to the residents of the Northwest Territories to better understand exactly what were getting ourselves into be- fore we ask that question before we throw that opportunity out for the people that live in the central Mackenzie Valley and in the Sahtu who are hungry for the jobs and the economic opportunities he responded. Ramsay said the existing environmental review process already puts the decision in the hands of the NWT public. Thevariousboardsandregulatoryagencies in the NWT hold public hearings and receive submissions from members of the public as wellastechnicalsubmissionsfromtheGNWT. These arms-length boards look at each ap- plication consider all of the circumstances and make well-informed decisions he said. The minister added that hes committed to extending the engagement period on the new regulationsuntiltheendofAugustandbeyond if necessary but has no intention of stopping the ongoing work on managing fracking. Leadership is not taking a world-class opportunity...and putting it on the sideline he said. Were halfway through the process thats underway today and we can manage this resource. Though Ramsay said the government isnt making any decisions today on fracking Bisaro said the opposite is apparent. They have every intention to open the NWT up to development at any cost and the concerns of residents do not seem to matter she said. As I have said before a conversa- tion about fracking needs to happen. That suggestion is favoured by the Dene Nation who also put out a statement in sup- port of a plebiscite last week. The residents in neighbouring communi- ties downstream have a legitimate argument when it comes to hydraulic fracking opera- tions said Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus. We see the extraction process as affecting our quality and way of life. The same sentiment was expressed last Fri- dayataconcertinYellowknifeputonbyFrack- ing Action North which also planned a walk and rally to submit a petition to legislature on June 2. The petition calls for a moratorium on fracking until a comprehensive transparent andpublicreviewofenvironmentalsocialand economicrisksandbenets...iscompletedand theNWTpublicclearlyindicateswhetherthe risks and benets are acceptable or not. That petition had around 1400 signatures as of Monday afternoon. Bisaro said government should take the op- portunity provided by the lull in investor in- terest to have a conversation with the public. Maybe the Minister has seen enough heard enough to be convinced of the bene- ts of fracking but many others in our ter- ritory have not she said. It is only just and fair that they be given the opportunity to get educated as well and then have a hand in any development decisions. PhotoBobWilson Yellowknifers march against fracking last fall during a protest organized by Fracking Action North. The group has collecting upwards of 1400 signatures in favour of the publics right to decide whether or not fracking should be allowed in the territory.