Shale gas top priority for Moncton voters, say candidates

Shale gas development was the top concern of Moncton voters in the New Brunswick provincial election Monday, say local candidates.

Longtime Liberal MLA and environment critic Chris Collins, who won Moncton Centre handily, says shale gas was a big issue for the people he spoke to.

"The biggest underlying determinate in the Moncton Centre riding was fracking, absolutely," said Collins, referring to hydraulic fracturing, the process of extracting shale gas using a mixture of sand, water and chemicals injected into the earth at high speeds.

"There were very few houses that I came across that were in favour of it," he said.

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In Moncton Northwest, rookie Ernie Steeves was elected and held onto the riding for the PCs. He says voters told him they were in favour of shale gas.

"I think it is a way to get New Brunswick into a 'have' situation, so I wish we could follow through with it," he said.

Sue Stultz, one of two PC cabinet ministers to lose their seats in Moncton, was defeated by Liberal Cathy Rogers in Moncton South.

Stultz says she's not convinced the promised Liberal moratorium on shale gas exploration will last for very long.

"It was the previous government that brought it into our province in the first place and they'll go in and do the exact same thing as what we were going to do," said Stultz.

Cathy Rogers says she remains strongly opposed to shale gas development, and says she heard a lot of concern from voters about the impact it would have on health and the environment.

"In my view, we do not have an economic case for this. I believe the economic case is quite smoke and mirrors," she said.

The Liberals and the PCs split the eight Moncton ridings.

Liberals:

• Dieppe
• Moncton East
• Moncton Centre
• Moncton South

Progressive Conservatives:

• Moncton Northwest
• Moncton Southwest
• Riverview
• Albert