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Interviews

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2016)

The Future of Citizen Engagement: An Interview with the Members of the New Brunswick Commission on Hydraulic Fracturing

Submitted
January 5, 2017
Published
2016-12-01

Abstract

Marc Léger, John McLaughlin, and Cheryl Robertson, the three members of the New Brunswick Commission on Hydraulic Fracturing, spent months consulting various publics in New Brunswick. Their final report, released in early 2016, was not just about the controversial and divisive policy area. It spoke to a need for the province to engage with its citizens more transparently, more openly, and to understand why the paternalism and corporate and government elitism of the past is no longer viable. In this interview, their insights into how to address and engage with these publics are outlined, and the observations gleaned from direct interaction with groups suggest a way forward in future public consultations.