Parties reveal position on environment and conservation

Three of New Brunswick’s political parties are saying ‘yes’ to clean air and water by indicating they would halt fracking activity and take steps to protect our Crown Forest should they form the next provincial government.

Earlier this month, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick asked the province’s five political parties to share their conservation goals and environmental priorities in the lead up to the 2014 general election on Sept. 22.

The questionnaire asked party leaders to reveal their commitment on a number of actions related to air and climate protection, forest management, clean water, and the development of energy projects in New Brunswick.

The Liberal Party, Green Party and New Democratic Party participated in the survey. The Progressive Conservatives and People’s Alliance did not respond.

“We were pleased to see that of the parties who participated, by and large they took positions in favour of protecting the land, air and water in New Brunswick,” said Lois Corbett, executive director of CCNB. “Some parties could have taken a harder line, but it’s fantastic to see conservation and environmental issues have not been overshadowed this time around by staple election issues like the economy or healthcare budget.”

Some highlights from the survey include:

1.     The Liberals would consider an open consultation to review the effectiveness of the Crown Lands and Forest Act; The NDP would enforce existing regulations, add new ones, and launch a judicial review to determine if the latest forestry strategy is legal; The Green Party would create a new Crown Land Forest Sustainability Act, protect diversity and cease logging in the Acadian forest, and create Community Forest licenses.

2.     The NDP and Green Party would ban shale gas development in the province, while the Liberals would impose a moratorium on fracking.

3.     The Green Party would prioritize river classification under the Clean Water Act and enhance watershed protection; The Liberals would centralize conservation, inspection and enforcement functions in one department; The NDP would classify rivers under the Clean Water Act and enforce existing watershed regulations.

4.     The Liberal party would not commit to reviewing greenhouse gas reduction targets, but pledged a greater focus on renewable energy sources; The Green Party would set more aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets; The NDP would establish a new Chief Provincial Scientist office to ensure air quality legislation is evidence-based and enforced.

See the complete survey results from respondents here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:  Jon MacNeill, Communications Officer; 458-8747

Lois Corbett, Executive Director; 458-8747

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