Harper meets Williams in Newfoundland - Will they make amends and hamm

[jawapunk]

Harper is in Newfoundland Friday to discuss many things in the first face to face meeting with Danny Williams since late 2006.

Do you think that a deal will be reached as both of these men are fairly headstrong and Harper has backed out of a verbal agreement already?

Edited November 30, 2007 by jawapunk

[fellowtraveller]

Caught some comments from Williams before the sheer tedium of the man caused me to click it off. He comes across - to me- as a giant windbag and complete a-hole.

[jawapunk]

And Harper is a kind and gentle man is he? What politician isn't a bit of a self-involved a-hole? Especially those in leaadership positions. And I would add he only sounds like a wind bag if you don't like what he has to say.

[fellowtraveller]

I didn't say Harper was Gandhi.

But Williams is on another scale entirely. He clearly has a swollen head, and I think his portrayal of the feds as enemies is dishonest, misleading and ultimately does not serve Newfoundland. In short, he is a liar when he claims the feds cheated Nfld in any way.

[jawapunk]

I guess we'll have to disagree on that then. There were promises made...pre-election ones, which Harper reneged on. Williams is simply calling another liar to task. If Harper hadn't made the promise, he should have come out about it when Williams stated a deal and agreement had been reached, prior to the election.

I just don't see him as being on another level at all. He is not saying Newfoundland was raped by the feds, he is saying a major agreement has been blown off by the Prime Minister, one that could give Newfoundland billions in revenue and help ween the province off of equalisation. I never vote Conservative in federal elections anyways as they are a bit too conservative and not at all progressive, but even if I did, I would think twice.

[geoffrey]

There were promises made...pre-election ones, which Harper reneged on.

No there wasn't. Williams can still take the Atlantic Accord, that was kept. If he wants the better deal, he can take that too, but not both at the same time.

[Wilber]

Harper is weighing what he stands to lose in Newfoundland if he stands firm, against what he stands to lose in other parts of the country if he knuckles under to Williams. He will try to salvage something in Newfoundland if he can but I believe that if push comes to shove, he has already decided that Williams loses..

[Moxie]

Harper is weighing what he stands to lose in Newfoundland if he stands firm, against what he stands to lose in other parts of the country if he knuckles under to Williams. He will try to salvage something in Newfoundland if he can but I believe that if push comes to shove, he has already decided that Williams loses..

Frankly Danny doesn't give a rat's arse what Harper thinks, and how does he lose? He is fighting for the future of his province, they were screwed over royally by Quebec visa vie ChurchHill Falls. At least he cares about his people and the future of his province. He's a stand above the rest kind of guy, most only want to hold office. The people matter not.

Atlantic Canada will be a sea of red in the next election, Harper has himself to blame. He lied once when he signed the accord, we'd be fools to believe him again.

[Newfie Canadian]

It's all moot anyway.

Danny is here to stay for as long as he wants - the latest poll puts his party's popularity at 82% - and the minority situation in Ottawa isn't going anywhere anytime soon, or so it seems, and the Liberals don't seem to have the necessary momentum to usurp minority government from the Conservatives.

The question becomes who needs who more? I give it a 50/50 split. Harper needs seats, even if NL only has 7, but that could be a lot in minority parliament. More than that, Harper needs to project to Atlantic Canada that he's a Canadian PM, not simply a Western PM or an everyone but Atlantic Canada PM.

Williams on the other hand, will be looking for help on some upcoming projects, and that help would no doubt come along easier if he dialed down the rhetoric.

Either way, it looks like we're stuck with both of them, and their immature crap.

[Wild Bill]

It's all moot anyway.

Danny is here to stay for as long as he wants - the latest poll puts his party's popularity at 82% - and the minority situation in Ottawa isn't going anywhere anytime soon, or so it seems, and the Liberals don't seem to have the necessary momentum to usurp minority government from the Conservatives.

The question becomes who needs who more? I give it a 50/50 split. Harper needs seats, even if NL only has 7, but that could be a lot in minority parliament. More than that, Harper needs to project to Atlantic Canada that he's a Canadian PM, not simply a Western PM or an everyone but Atlantic Canada PM.

Williams on the other hand, will be looking for help on some upcoming projects, and that help would no doubt come along easier if he dialed down the rhetoric.

Either way, it looks like we're stuck with both of them, and their immature crap.

Yeah, and let's hope that Danny has no intention of ever running for a federal position. He's upset so many in the rest of Canada that the chances of our ever having a PM from the Rock are pretty remote.

[Wilber]

Frankly Danny doesn't give a rat's arse what Harper thinks, and how does he lose? He is fighting for the future of his province, they were screwed over royally by Quebec visa vie ChurchHill Falls. At least he cares about his people and the future of his province. He's a stand above the rest kind of guy, most only want to hold office. The people matter not.

Atlantic Canada will be a sea of red in the next election, Harper has himself to blame. He lied once when he signed the accord, we'd be fools to believe him again.

It seems to be mutual and let me rephrase that. Danny won't get what he wants, which is both. His province getting screwed over by Quebec has nothing to do with the ROC. The ROC didn't sign the deal and shouldn't have to pay for it.

[jawapunk]

No there wasn't. Williams can still take the Atlantic Accord, that was kept. If he wants the better deal, he can take that too, but not both at the same time.

Umm...yes there were. First promises were made by the Liberals by Paul Martin and then the Conservatives with Harper. Here is the agreement, that was signed by the said politicians at the bottom. This is the agreement that was reneged on, this is why so many people in Atlantic Canada are pissed off.

http://www.gov.nl.ca/atlanticaccord/agreement.htm

[fellowtraveller]

Classic Newfies, you want your cake and to eat it too.

Get with the program.

[jawapunk]

Whatever guy. We are just trying to get off of equalisation...This accord, if the promise was kept, would effectively do that. But if you would rather pay for us to live out her and all our services then I don't really mind that either.

It seems like you would rather have us stay on equalisation so all your ridiculous stereotypes hold true.

[Newfie Canadian]

Classic Newfies, you want your cake and to eat it too.

Get with the program.

I like that...Classic Newfies. I assume that you have sufficient personal experience with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to warrant the slight that your comment implies?

Never mind. Your comment, and what I was going to write in response to it, takes to a place best left unvisited.

I am curious as to what program you are referring to? It is the primary aim of every provincial government to better their position, be it financial or political...always has been, always will be. Williams is hardly a pioneer in trying to get what he can for his province on the backs of the feds.

I always assumed the "the program" was to try to get what you think you deserve from the feds, because, as we all know, the feds will try to get from the provinces whatever they can.

[fellowtraveller]

I assume that you have sufficient personal experience with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to warrant the slight that your comment implies?

I'll pay more attention to your economic theories on the very first day that money starts heading West to help others, instead of the direction it is now locked into for eternity.

[Newfie Canadian]

I'll pay more attention to your economic theories on the very first day that money starts heading West to help others, instead of the direction it is now locked into for eternity.

I'm not the least interested in getting into a tete a tete with you, fellowtraveller, I was simply pointing out that your stereotype was exactly that: a stereotype, and somewhat beneath you.

As for my economic theories, I won't beg for anyone to pay attention to them, now or ever. As a matter of fact, I don't recall stating anything noteworthy in the form of an economic theory. I can only go by what I see and read, and in my opinion, which you are free to disagree with, the deal that was struck with the Liberals is not being lived up to in it's totality by the Conservatives.

But do you know what's funny about that? I don't fault the Conservatives for trying to keep their piece of the pie, so to speak. I'm certain the Libs would have done the same if they'd stayed in power.

I can't fault Williams for trying to get this province out of the red, any more than I can fault any other premier for going toe to toe with the feds for their province.

If you think that NL is a constant sink hole on the federation's resources, that's your business. But it will never change if we keep rolling over and taking it up the backside from the feds, or anyone else, for the rest of time.

As for other items, the provincial surplus has been revised upwards to the tune of $881 million on the back of high oil prices. Oil and revenues...who would have guessed?

[Fortunata]

Looks like Danny Williams has backed down and accepted $66 million from Ottawa.

[jawapunk]

That is not official. If Williams accepts that will be the addtional equalization amount received by the province.

However, by 2009 Newfoundland willnot qualify for equalisation any longer, regardless of if they accept the new deal or not. That is fantastic news. Finally there can be an end to all the whining. Too bad stereotypes tend to linger....

[jawapunk]

It's official...and it really looks like oil prices have made it a win win for feds and Newfoundland. The NL surplus has tripled to nearly $900 million...this is just fantastic news for us here and all provinces who pay into equalisation.

[Wilber]

It's official...and it really looks like oil prices have made it a win win for feds and Newfoundland. The NL surplus has tripled to nearly $900 million...this is just fantastic news for us here and all provinces who pay into equalisation.

Congrats. Hope it is a long term trend. The surplus that is, not ever higher oil prices.