On News91.9 Radio today, NBASGA spokesperson, Jim Emberger, responded to NB’s Energy Minister, Craig Leonard, who has been on radio and in the print news bashing the “Voice of the People Tour“, making cranky accusations of ‘misinformation’ and ‘hyperbole’, among other similar slurs. In an earlier interview, Jim responded with, “If we were individuals rather than a group, we’d probably sue him for slander.”

Here is Jim’s excellent rebuttal on News 91.9:

Excerpts from article printed in Telegraph Journal and Fredericton Gleaner, Mar. 24, 2014

“Minister confident residents can see past hyperbole.”

New Brunswick’s energy minister says he is not concerned about a coalition of groups that is planning a provincewide tour to oppose shale gas development in the province.  Craig Leonard said the Tory government already knows what The Voice of the People Tour will tell residents and he is confident New Brunswickers will be able to see through what he calls the “misinformation.”

Later in the article, Minister Craig Leonard is quoted as saying,

We know what they will say—it’s a lot of misinformation, it’s a lot of studies taken out of context and it’s a lot of studies that have been discredited.”

The facts have a way of coming to the fore and no matter how much misinformation they try to put out to block those facts, NBers will see through it.”

Yes, Minister Leonard – this is the one thing we can agree on. We know the facts will emerge.

In a subsequent radio interview, Leonard said the tour organizers are  fear-mongering using outdated misinformation; getting more aggressive; using information that keeps getting older and older ; and curiously enough, this one:  “if things in other jurisdictions were so bad, would there not be a massive outcry?

How could he miss the fact that the massive outcry is world-wide, including existing shale gas areas?  He did urge people to read the research, but did not specify what research he wished them to read.

We are happy to comply and suggest that people start right here.