MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Australia's Territory Frack-Free Alliance condemns the position of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) in the Northern Territory regarding hydraulic fracturing, the group's spokeswoman said Monday.
"Despite claims the party has undergone a serious internal review and reflection of its disastrous defeat at the last election, it is clear CLP Leader Gary Higgins and the party still have a lot to learn if it hopes to reconnect with voters, rehashing the same unpopular fracking policy that cemented the party’s historic losses in key stronghold seats… With tried and failed policy ideas like this, the Country Liberals are demonstrating just how out of touch the party remains with its former voting base," Lauren Mellor said, as quoted by the Katherine Times newspaper.
Earlier this month, the CLP held its annual conference and supported the development of the oil and gas sector in Australia's Northern Territory, including through the development of fracking practices, calling the existing restrictions a "needless handbrake."
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves the high-pressure injection of a liquid solution into the ground through which oil and other hydrocarbons may flow more freely. Along with causing tremors, the method is also widely criticized for contaminating ground water, causing soil pollution and producing noise. The technology has been repeatedly slammed by environmental activists and some policymakers, who claim that it leads to water contamination.
