Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bob Bromley, for moving this motion forward. I stand in support of this motion. What the motion asks for is refrain from supporting fracking until a full and public assessment, and if fracking could actually happen within the public scope of the existing regulatory system and public opinion.
It’s timely that the ITI Minister has committed his department to develop regulations on fracking. I would like to encourage him with his leadership to really think about how this would be done. It could be done within the regulatory framework or it could be done within a committee, a committee comprised of both Cabinet and Regular MLAs, with
a collaborative effort in setting the terms of reference similar to what’s happening in the Yukon.
Devolution has given the GNWT more powers and we need to practice those powers with a level of responsibility. The stage is set, the GNWT has the power and responsibility, the structure and system are in place, and now is the time for a real need to check with the public and do it right.
Like many constituents and Northerners, I want to understand what fracking is. Fracking, of course, is a practice of the oil and gas industry and it’s been around for a long time.
There is always a need to challenge the system and achieve a balance between environmental values and the need for jobs, also for business and also for the greater economy. Here in the North we are particular in terms of loving the beauty of the land and we want to ensure that future generations enjoy what they will inherit from us.
As First Nations people, we learned to respect our elders, and the motion from the Elders Parliament, obviously, we have to respect it in terms of their call for a moratorium on fracking.
I applaud our colleagues in the Yukon that have taken steps and are studying this very matter by striking up a committee to publicly assess the risks and benefits of fracking.
Again, I think the ITI Minister commitment to develop regulations is timely, the call to develop regulation, but we need to be clear in terms of creating a forum for public discussion.
I’ve always had my questions in terms of the practice of fracking. It’s been a practice that’s been around since 1947 when the first experimental drill holes were drilled in the United States. The whole practice creates fractures and fissures underground by pumping water or substances and extracting petroleum products. I understand there have been technological advances in terms of addressing a lot of the public questions in terms of the chemical composition of the substances they are pumping underground, plus the status of the effluence once that water is brought back up or maybe, perhaps, potentially affecting the water tables in the underground.
In all of this it’s kind of ironic because people have caution. We need to have a very rational mind and we need to have a clear mind and not let the better of our emotions take a hold of our thinking. What do we do in those cases? We rely on scientific knowledge that we’ve been taught in school. It’s to try and take a very scientific analysis of fracking. But the irony of it is that as we compensate the effects of fracking, the effects are greater than what we thought of as perhaps in terms of some of the studies and some of the testimonies from people that have experienced fracking first-hand.
I need to acknowledge that there are federal regulatory systems in place and we do have our very first experience. We’ve established, here in the North, land claims. Because of the land claims, we’ve set up the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. That in place set up boards. With the devolution of responsibility for public lands and resources to the GNWT, that was a great achievement, but in the same instance what happened is that we’ve basically moved to eliminate regional boards in terms of ensuring our regional bodies have input into the overall regulatory framework for the environment.
I do know and I understand that at some point, projects are referred for environmental assessment. That gives an opportunity for the public and industry to engage and to ensure that the system that we have goes through a rigorous process and at the end we conclude with a decision.
I wanted to take the opportunity just to describe some of the values that we’re having, in our language, in terms of how we see the land up here in the NWT. Nahendeh…[English translation not provided.]
There are existing regulations. There are the federal regulations, we have the National Energy Board, we now have the responsibility for the oil and gas regulations and we have to look at other jurisdictions that have set in place a moratorium in terms of trying to assess and study this very matter.
At this point what’s called for is the need for leadership and to create a forum for public discussion on this matter, similar to what the Yukon is doing. If indeed one reflects upon the motion, it’s almost giving permission or support. Let’s have a couple of discussions and contemplate how fracking could be done within the existing regulatory framework. Mahsi.