Williams Wins Newfoundland Election

[jdobbin]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

rogressive Conservative Leader Danny Williams trounced his rivals in the N.L. election Tuesday, easily winning his second straight majority government.

By early Tuesday evening, the Progressive Conservatives had won or were leading in 42 ridings, while the Liberals had four and NDP Leader Lorraine Michael won the only seat for her party.

Headed into the election, the Tories had 34 seats, the Liberals had 11, the NDP one and there were two vacancies.

Williams had earlier said that anything less than a majority government would have been seen as a loss.

"We're expecting to do well and that kind of puts a different light on it," he told reporters after voting in his district of Humber West in Corner Brook Tuesday.

"It's a different pressure, as a result of being expected to do well, because I guess if we don't achieve the sort of performance that people expect then it will be seen as a loss."

Williams has gained national media attention for his feuds with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Tuesday's resounding victory will likely mean more clashes with the federal government.

Not unexpected.

And what we should expect is more pressure on the federal government as well.

[mikedavid00]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

Not unexpected.

And what we should expect is more pressure on the federal government as well.

Newfoundland has a homogenous culture and voters vote for Canadian issues. Not personal immigration issues abroad.

This is how most of the country would be voting if it wasn't for mass immigation these past 15 years.

[August1991]

Danny Williams presented the campaign as a vote for him was a vote for Newfoundland. Joey Smallwood, the charlatan, did the same for about two decades. Duplessis did the same in Quebec.

Trudeau's success was in part because in Ontario, a vote for him was a vote for Canada while in Quebec, a vote for him was a vote for Quebec.

Newfoundland has a homogenous culture and voters vote for Canadian issues. Not personal immigration issues abroad.

This is how most of the country would be voting if it wasn't for mass immigation these past 15 years.

Edited October 10, 2007 by August1991

[jdobbin]

Danny Williams presented the campaign as a vote for him was a vote for Newfoundland. Joey Smallwood, the charlatan, did the same for about two decades. Duplessis did the same in Quebec.

Certainly high oil prices have helped the province.

I hope it brings some longer term prosperity.

[Newfie Canadian]

The opposition has been decimated. The NTV election panel, including John Crosbie and George Baker, are talking about Danny having to give his backbenchers more leeway in questioning the government in an effort to have some sort of accountability for the government.

Interesting concept.

Joey Smallwood, the charlatan, did the same for about two decades.

Hehehe. I've heard many references made to Joey, August, but that one is in its simplicity the best.

[kengs333]

Ummm, "massive majority"? Try virtually a dictatorship. The PCs got about 70% of the vote, yet they received 43/47 seats. I don't have my calculator on me but that would be about 90% of the seats. How democratic.

[daniel]

Ummm, "massive majority"? Try virtually a dictatorship. The PCs got about 70% of the vote, yet they received 43/47 seats. I don't have my calculator on me but that would be about 90% of the seats. How democratic.

Still can't beat Frank McKenna's results when he won all of the seats with 60% of the popular vote.

[Higgly]

Yeah a lot of Newfoundland's problems are inherited from Smallwood's time in office. Clearly this is a loud message to Ottawa. Williams has been sticking his chin out to governments of all stripes in Ottawa and Newfoundlanders clearly have shown he truly represents their hearts and minds. We'll see which federal parties will play up to Newfoundland in any upcoming election.

[jdobbin]

Yeah a lot of Newfoundland's problems are inherited from Smallwood's time in office. Clearly this is a loud message to Ottawa. Williams has been sticking his chin out to governments of all stripes in Ottawa and Newfoundlanders clearly have shown he truly represents their hearts and minds. We'll see which federal parties will play up to Newfoundland in any upcoming election.

And this morning Williams said he is going to fight Ottawa hard on Newfoundland issues.

[fellowtraveller]

How very convenient for Williams to have a permanent bogeyman in Ottawa. If something goes wrong, blame Ottawa. If something goes right, take the credit. He must be envied by every Premier.

[Newfie Canadian]

How very convenient for Williams to have a permanent bogeyman in Ottawa. If something goes wrong, blame Ottawa. If something goes right, take the credit. He must be envied by every Premier.

Doubtful.

Yet, having a permanent bogeyman in Ottawa was hardly Danny's invention, nor is he the only practitioner of the blame Ottawa approach.

I suspect that every premier of every province has at one time or another used it as a rallying cry for something.

Has he gone over board with it...perhaps, especially when one considers that Mr. Macdonald's softer approach in NS has garnered some results with todays' announcement.

Ottawa and NS have Deal on Equalization

[jdobbin]

Doubtful.

Yet, having a permanent bogeyman in Ottawa was hardly Danny's invention, nor is he the only practitioner of the blame Ottawa approach.

I suspect that every premier of every province has at one time or another used it as a rallying cry for something.

Has he gone over board with it...perhaps, especially when one considers that Mr. Macdonald's softer approach in NS has garnered some results with todays' announcement.

Ottawa and NS have Deal on Equalization

One might say that Williams whipping the Ottawa probably helped Nova Scotia with this deal.

I'll have to see more details before knowing if Nova Scotia did well by this.