Premier Bob McLeod, shown speaking May 27 at legislative assembly, said cabinet could not support a plebiscite motion because there's already a public engagement process in place. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The public will not have a chance to vote in the fall on whether the controversial practice known as fracking should be allowed in the territory after vote in the legislative assembly last week.

MLAs voted June 4 against a motion pushed by Yellowknife Centre Robert Hawkins to hold a plebiscite on the issue at the same time as the territorial election.

"The reality here before us, though, is if we can't use the Plebiscite Act for stuff this important, why bother having it?" Hawkins said before the vote.

Earlier the same day, MLAs also voted down a motion by Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley calling for a two-year horizontal hydraulic fracturing moratorium and "comprehensive" consultation on the oil and gas extraction method.

"Our people have questions, opinions, thoughts, insights, and values that they want to present and have considered," Bromley said, calling the government "deaf" to residents.

"They are saying they aren't being heard and that this is unacceptable."

Last week he tabled a petition signed by more than 1,100 people against fracking in the territory.

Both measures were opposed by cabinet. In a speech before the plebiscite vote Premier Bob McLeod said there's already a system in place to garner public input.

"We shouldn't reduce something this important to one simple question," McLeod said. "We should be having an extensive public discussion about it. The public engagement process we have already undertaken gives us a venue to have that kind of conversation."

The government has been holding consultation sessions around the territory recently on proposed fracking regulations.

However, several MLAs used question period in the days before the vote to ask why the government isn't holding a broad public consultation, like Yukon, on whether fracking should take place.

The practice involves drilling horizontally underground and injecting water, chemicals and sand at high pressure to fracture rock formations.

It releases oil and gas that could otherwise not be tapped using more conventional extraction methods. An estimated 191 billion barrels of oil are under the Sahtu region, although no research has been done to conclude how much of that is possible to extract. Resource companies have said they're not planning any further work in the territory in the near future due to economic conditions. Multiple MLAs said they would vote against the moratorium motion because there are currently no fracking operations scheduled in the territory.

There was also concern about the timing of a moratorium or plebiscite because, several MLAs said, people haven't had time to learn about fracking. Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya said both motions would go against the wishes of his constituents to see jobs from exploration and extraction in the region.

"Read my lips: The Sahtu people have a land claim. They are the ones who said yes, open the lands for exploration," Yakeleya said about the plebiscite.

The debates capped a seven day sitting of the legislative assembly. MLAs will sit again for eight days starting Sept. 29.

The territorial election is set for Nov. 23.

How MLAs voted on the motion for a public vote on fracking

NO - Norman Yakeleya, Tom Beaulieu, Glen Abernethy, Michael Miltenberger, Bob McLeod, Jackson Lafferty, David Ramsay, Robert C. McLeod, Daryl Dolynny, Robert Bouchard, Alred Moses

ABSTAIN - Wendy Bisaro, Frederick Blake

ABSENT - Jane Groenewegen, Kevin Menicoche

How MLAs voted on the motion for a fracking moratorium

NO - Norman Yakeleya, Tom Beaulieu, Glen Abernethy, Michael Miltenberger, Bob McLeod, Jackson Lafferty, David Ramsay, Robert C. McLeod, Daryl Dolynny, Robert Bouchard, Alred Moses

ABSENT - Jane Groenewegen, Kevin Menicoche

- Source: Legislative assembly

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