Danny Williams Goes Nation-wide

jdobbin · March 28, 2007

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

Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams has launched his retaliatory attack against the recent federal budget, which he says breaks a major promise to his province.
Williams' provincial government is waging an advertising campaign that questions the integrity of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The full and half-page ads are running in newspapers across the country beginning on Wednesday. The top of the advertisement prominently features a white Maple Leaf on a red background and the question: "Is this what Canada stands for?"

It seems Williams isn't just content to play to the hometown crowd, he is taking his message to Canadians.

From his standpoint, it does feel like a broken promise.

Michael Bluth · March 28, 2007

Paul Wells said it best about Danny Williams hootin' and hollerin'.

Danny Williams made Paul Martin's life a screaming blue hell for most of a year and a half. Martin turned his government, his most senior staffers and bureaucratic helpers, and the entire tortured logic of Canadian fiscal federalism into pretzels to please Williams. Paul Martin wore himself into a sobbing heap to please Danny Williams.
And his reward was one fewer seat in NL than he had before he went to the trouble.

Why would any prime minister ever again lift a finger to appease Danny Williams?

Stephen Harper is a much shrewder politician than Paul Martin. He will not bend over backwards to appease Danny Williams.

ScottSA · March 28, 2007

What? The eastern seaboard of Canada isn't happy with the budget? That's a new one...

gc1765 · March 28, 2007

Stephen Harper is a much shrewder politician than Paul Martin. He will not bend over backwards to appease Danny Williams.

Is appeasement another word for keeping your promise?

jdobbin · March 28, 2007

What? The eastern seaboard of Canada isn't happy with the budget? That's a new one...

The Liberals lost a seat last election by getting Newfoundland's premier in an uproar. I guess Harper could ignore those seats as long as he won more elsewhere.

newbie · March 28, 2007

]
Stephen Harper is a much shrewder politician than Paul Martin. He will not bend over backwards to appease Danny Williams.

Yeah, just Quebec.

Nocrap · March 28, 2007

Because Newfoundland holds fewer seats than most other provinces, I guess they have to scream a little louder. I like Danny Williams. He fights for his people. If Harper and Flaherty refuse to listen, he'll find the sympathetic ears of many Canadians upset over the huge gifts to Alberta and Quebec. I applaud his initiative.

Michael Bluth · March 28, 2007

Because Newfoundland holds fewer seats than most other provinces, I guess they have to scream a little louder. I like Danny Williams. He fights for his people. If Harper and Flaherty refuse to listen, he'll find the sympathetic ears of many Canadians upset over the huge gifts to Alberta and Quebec. I applaud his initiative.

Huge gifts to Alberta? wtf are you talking about.

Charles Anthony · March 28, 2007

Because Newfoundland holds fewer seats than most other provinces, I guess they have to scream a little louder. I like Danny Williams. He fights for his people.

There are not much more than half a million people in ALL of Newfoundland and Labrador. Two seats in the House of Commons is more than enough.

If Harper and Flaherty refuse to listen, he'll find the sympathetic ears of many Canadians upset over the huge gifts to Alberta and Quebec. I applaud his initiative.

I doubt it. I think it will back-fire.

Wilber · March 28, 2007

I doubt it. I think it will back-fire.

Me to.

Keepitsimple · March 28, 2007

I can understand Danny Boy being "disappointed" that he didn't get as good a deal as he hoped for....but he does have the alternative of the Atlantic Accord status quo....so I don't really see how he can be outraged to this extent - lessons from Ralph Goodale School of Indignation maybe? If he accepts the new deal, that means that it's better than the old one....so yes - be disappointed, but outraged? He's burning bridges with Harper and that's not a good thing.

As for promises made and not kept - at least in this instance, it's common knowledge that Harper had to balance the needs of all provinces, the provinces couldn't agree among themselves, and in the end, Harper ended up taking the advice of the Liberal sponsored O'Brian report......and again, he gave Williams the option of leaving things as is with the Atlantic Accord.

Pity poor Ontario - they have Dalton McGuinty. Now there's an outright liar. He's made career out of making and breaking promises - so many that people have lost count.....but don't get me started.

blueblood · March 28, 2007

Harper is trying to get a majority, Williams knows this. I'll venture a guess that it will be a razor thin majority if everything falls into place. In other words Harper needs all the seats he can get, Harper has to walk a fine line as to how many people he can piss off without losing seats. Pissing off Williams like that might upset that balance, which is another reason why Harper might want a later election, give time for the premier to cool down. If Harper gets another minority, all this pandering and all that might have been for nothing and he has to go about it again. Williams isn't an idiot, he knows what he's doing he has some of the highest approval ratings of any politician out there, it would be wise for Harper to fix this little problem before it gets out of hand. Quebec is still too volatile and a wildcard IMO.

Topaz · March 28, 2007

First of all, I want to know if Harper DID promise and in writing to Nfld, wouldn't you?? If you had 12 kids and gave each a quarter and some of those kids went out and got jobs to add to their allowance, would you say to that child, well, you have more money coming in than the others so, I'm not going to give you your quarter?? Perhaps all provinces should keep more of the Feds taxes, like no one paying Fed tax and it would be more fair.

Wilber · March 28, 2007

If you had 12 kids and gave each a quarter and some of those kids went out and got jobs to add to their allowance, would you say to that child, well, you have more money coming in than the others so, I'm not going to give you your quarter?? Perhaps all provinces should keep more of the Feds taxes, like no one paying Fed tax and it would be more fair.

Isn't that exactly how equalization works?

Remiel · March 28, 2007

There are not much more than half a million people in ALL of Newfoundland and Labrador. Two seats in the House of Commons is more than enough.

Two seats...? Don't they hold... well, seven? Not like you to undershoot that badly, Charles. Five are theirs by population, two by special clause.

Charles Anthony · March 28, 2007

I do not think Newfoundland should have more than two seats in the House of Commons because their population is sooooo small.

noahbody · March 28, 2007

When Williams talks about the promise made, is he referring to what Harper said he would do previous to Martin's deal with Williams? If so, sorry Danny, it was pie or ice cream, not both.

leonardcohen · March 28, 2007

There are not much more than half a million people in ALL of Newfoundland and Labrador. Two seats in the House of Commons is more than enough.

Two seats...? Don't they hold... well, seven? Not like you to undershoot that badly, Charles. Five are theirs by population, two by special clause.

I just checked on my home province of P.E.I.,

and was a little bit surprised to discover that we

have 4 seats,it was a condition of joining Confederation,

so based on a population of around 130,000 we're probably

the best represented ridings in the Country

http://www.cbc.ca/pei/features/tory-drought/clues.html

Newfoundland needs more mp's

BC_chick · March 28, 2007

]
Stephen Harper is a much shrewder politician than Paul Martin. He will not bend over backwards to appease Danny Williams.

Yeah, just Quebec.

LOL Good one.

How about appeasing Alberta a little?

Argus · March 28, 2007

What? The eastern seaboard of Canada isn't happy with the budget? That's a new one...

Eastern premiers often seem like beggars to me. Williams is like the beggar who jumps out in front of you and gets in your face and demands money, and then curses you because you didn't give him enough.

BC_chick · March 28, 2007

If you had 12 kids and gave each a quarter and some of those kids went out and got jobs to add to their allowance, would you say to that child, well, you have more money coming in than the others so, I'm not going to give you your quarter?? Perhaps all provinces should keep more of the Feds taxes, like no one paying Fed tax and it would be more fair.

Isn't that exactly how equalization works?

No.

Maybe initially when Trudeau introduced the idea - but now it's become nothing but an extortion tool by Quebec. Thanks to LPC and CPC alike.

Michael Bluth · March 28, 2007

LOL Good one.
How about appeasing Alberta a little?

He's got 60% support here.

Seems like Albertans are plety appeased.

geoffrey · March 29, 2007

Newfoundland needs more mp's

Only if Alberta gets a matching representation level to PEI as well, a whoping 100 MPs. Calgary would have as many as Toronto if we were represented like those on PEI.

How about appeasing Alberta a little?

That'd be nice, there was nothing in the budget for us. Or BC. Or Saskatchewan.

So much for the west getting in.

Maybe initially when Trudeau introduced the idea - but now it's become nothing but an extortion tool by Quebec. Thanks to LPC and CPC alike.

Here here.

It doesn't even make sense from an equalisation perspective how much Quebec gets. It's just absurd.

I still think the program is wrong in principle by rewarding provinces that purposely keep themselves poor in order to avoid having to use their own citizen's money. I mean, why make pro-business moves to stimulate your economy when Alberta and Ontario will pay your bills and you can just sit around all day waiting for the fish to come back.

Michael Bluth · March 29, 2007

I still think the program is wrong in principle by rewarding provinces that purposely keep themselves poor in order to avoid having to use their own citizen's money. I mean, why make pro-business moves to stimulate your economy when Alberta and Ontario will pay your bills and you can just sit around all day waiting for the fish to come back.

The Quebec provincial tax cut with the extra equalization cash painfully illustrates how right you are.

Wilber · March 29, 2007

The Quebec provincial tax cut with the extra equalization cash painfully illustrates how right you are.

BC did the same in 2001 when it was getting equalization but it was only part of a program to get the economy moving and get us out of receiving equalization, which has now happened. Will Quebec do the same or just keep bellying up to the trough?