Territorians have today called on Matt Canavan to stay out of the Top End's affairs, after media reported his comments on the Beetaloo Basin.
"Mr Canavan has no place promoting risky and dangerous fracking in the Territory," Protect Country Alliance spokesperson Graeme Sawyer said.
"World economics show fracking is a dangerous failure. The economics behind fracking, which were always shaky at best, make even less sense now. A massive drop in demand for gas internationally has meant companies in Australia and around the world are scaling back or cancelling gas projects entirely. The NT is put at risk by Matt Canavan's nonsense.
"Locals in the NT are overwhelmingly opposed to fracking, and if Mr Canavan listened to people, rather than being a mouthpiece for the fossil fuels lobby, he'd know that.
"Beetaloo fracked gas would be extremely expensive, and would threaten communities, agriculture, and the environment.
"Mr Canavan's tour to the Top End feels like flogging a dead horse. Like his visit to Darwin, the global crash in oil and gas prices means investment in the Beetaloo doesn't make any sense.
"He isn't a Minister anymore, so it's unclear to me what he's even doing in the Territory."