Danny Williams Doesn't Speak For Me
I've written on here before in support of Danny Williams. However, I cannot support his latest tirade. On Mike Duffy tonight, he sounded like a combination of an offensive loudmouth and a crying baby.
He stated that when Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative MP's voted for the budget last night, they voted against Newfoundland, Nova Scotia MPs voted against Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan MPs voted against Saskatchewan. As someone from Saskatchewan, I can say that I do not feel that way. I think that all three provinces got more than a fair deal in getting equalization payments. I don't agree with the whole concept of equalization and feel that if a province has resources at its disposal, why should those resources be excluded from equalization payments? Do they not generate wealth? Equalization discourages self-reliance and provides a disincentive for provinces to become "have provinces".
Mr. Williams, perhaps you should focus more on the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador so that the province can generate its own wealth instead of crying about the fact that Stephen Harper isn't giving you enough of someone else's.
He stated that when Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative MP's voted for the budget last night, they voted against Newfoundland, Nova Scotia MPs voted against Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan MPs voted against Saskatchewan. As someone from Saskatchewan, I can say that I do not feel that way. I think that all three provinces got more than a fair deal in getting equalization payments. I don't agree with the whole concept of equalization and feel that if a province has resources at its disposal, why should those resources be excluded from equalization payments? Do they not generate wealth? Equalization discourages self-reliance and provides a disincentive for provinces to become "have provinces".
Mr. Williams, perhaps you should focus more on the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador so that the province can generate its own wealth instead of crying about the fact that Stephen Harper isn't giving you enough of someone else's.
posted by Saskatory at
6:47 PM
11 Comments:
e have lots of friends here in Alberta from newfoundland. Spoke to one today about Danny William's outburst.
He said" well, there IS a welfare mentality in Newfoundland- they always think they deserve bigger handouts than anyone else.
Williams is speaking their language. We want 100% of OUR oil reserves (the Accord which Harper has given them the choice to keep exaclty the same way) BUT we also want a whole bunch of money from Alberta's oil reserves too.
Williams has broken so many promises himself, says my freind, that he has to blame somebody so he ALWAYS blames the Feds - especially when there is an electin in the wind.
My Newfie friend looked at the two choices that Williams has - a whole whack of money from keeping 100% of his natural resources under the Accord (as Harper promised) OR a whole whack of money under the new equalization plan which lets NL KEEP 50% of their natural resources out of the formula AND a whole whack of money.
He can choose every single year for 7 years whichever choice gives them the most money. BOTH plans give MORE money than ever before.
BUT - Danny Williams wants BOTH plans so he will end up getrting about DOUBLE per capita what the HAVE provinces like Alberta and Ontario get.
Time for the Premiers of the other provinces to speak up for US against NL don't you think?
By
Anonymous, at 7:29 PM
As a Tory you do realize that Harper broke his promise, and that's why Calvert and Williams are tearing strips off Harper. You may not admit it, but the least you could do is keep the partisan nonsense off the Internet, or support your province instead of Steve.
How is Williams supposed to generate wealth, when his natural resources which are constitutionally his to manage, have been taken away after being dangled in front of him by the Conservatives?
By
Anonymous, at 7:33 PM
SaskBoy - do you know what Harper's promise was?
To keep the Atlantic Accord exactly the same with NO caps so Newfoundland can keep 1oo% of its resource revenues.
Do you know what was delivered? Exactly that.
However, there is now a NEW equalization program for all of the provinces which NL can either opt in to or stay out of. Williams can choose whichever one he wants every year depending on which one gives the most money for his province.
This does not sound like a broken promise to the rational thinker. In fact, in order to KEEP this promise Harper had to disregard the advice of the Liberal equalization expert panel.
So I am not being blinded as a "Tory" - I am just addressing truth vs political spin.
By
Anonymous, at 7:47 PM
Shannon
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2006/12/22/williams-support.html
Looks like Danny can keep his word, he's running the ad campaign.
"I am just addressing truth vs political spin."
I know, by providing the spin you're highlighting the truth through contrasting?
By
Anonymous, at 9:29 PM
"The least you could do is keep the partisan nonsense off the Internet, or support your province instead of Steve." - Saskboy
Since when does supporting Harper mean that one is not supporting Saskatchewan? I've never agreed with equalization so I'm not too concerned that there is less coming to the province than was thought by Calvert.
Harper didn't exactly break his promise. He did change the equalization formula so that all of natural resources can be excluded from the formula (which I don't agree with but that is aside the point). What he changed was that there had to be a cap, which there should be or else the payments would be unsustainable. Even Janice McKinnon, the former NDP Finance Minister has stated as much. Did Harper say there would be no cap? Maybe so, but I don't really care. My point is that I don't think that when the Saskatchewan Conservative MPs voted with the budget, they voted AGAINST Saskatchewan.
Williams has an amazing deal on equalization and I think that Shannon states that nicely.
By
Saskatory, at 10:08 PM
Saskatory, is Alberta operating under the same rules for equalization payments? My understanding is that they are not, and that's obviously not going to settle any "fiscal imbalance". It doesn't even make sense, politically or constitutionally. I know Canada has a history of favouring some provinces over others (ie. Quebec, Ontario, Alberta), but is that what is right for the country? Obviously it isn't.
It concerns me that Harper has a series of election promises now that he's broken now because his promise "would be unsustainable". He's obviously promising the moon, and delivering a (_!_) instead. Wasn't he supposed to raise the bar on political integrity and accountability? Where's the accountability if we elect his bum back into office next time?
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Anonymous, at 12:20 AM
I support harper, equalization is a hard thing to understand so I don't care about that very much. IT is not going to help the tired old Calvert NDP win the Next election which is good because I support the SaskParty. The NDP are out of ideas and have nothing else to do but complan about not geting more equalization payments. This issue will never end no matter who is in government. Danny is the most werdest tory. I have never seen a tory who hates the federal torys who is a tory.
By
Anonymous, at 4:14 PM
I've never agreed with equalization so I'm not too concerned that there is less coming to the province than was thought by Calvert.- saskatory
Why not? Equalization promotes standardized delivery of services across the country. Even if an economy in one region tanks, the people living there are entitled to the same level of access as those in more wealthy areas.
As far as Saskatchewan and our non-renewable resource revenue, one can be glad such a transfer didn't occur, after the NDP delivered such an irresponsible budget. Makes you wonder how they might have thrown around another $800 million simply to be re-elected.
By
Denny, at 11:13 PM
Danny Williams is an intelligent man who actually has the balls to stand up for our provine and is not afraid of the big scary feds! If someone could have done this years ago, our province would not be in the economic state it is now! Let the man do his job, and at least support our province instead of being a old, "traditional" downers!!!! This is the way it has to be done, obviously some change has to be made- I would like to stick around here and not be poor. You folks who do, NEED to modernize your opinions, this is not 1949 anymore- its 2007, get with the times and try to support the province, not try to drain whats left!
And for those of you who have probably never even been to our province, are probably uneducated about us, so you should shut your pie holes, your not the ones who has to live here and find work here, we are!
By
Anonymous, at 10:55 PM
Williams will keep up the wailing until someone from the federal government sticks a soother or bottle in his mouth. He's just playing the old game of selling his political support and principles to the highest bidder.
He seems to forget that the offshore revenues belong to all Canadians, not just to newfies. The own the onshore resources, but they do not own the offshore resources.
Compare the economies of the Canadian maritime provinces to the US maritime states to see what a failure equalization is.
It rewards failure and punishes success.
By
Anonymous, at 5:48 PM
"Two other pieces of Alberta's experience are relevant. First, when equalization was introduced in the late 1950s, Alberta was not wealthy and received equalization. But the formula then did not allow the clawing back of natural resource revenues by the federal government. That, plus the province's rich resource endowment, gave it the leg up it needed to become self-supporting and, eventually, a huge net contributor to the cost of running Canada."
Harper Quote
"Nova Scotia should be able to realize the benefits of the offshore to jump-start its economy just like my province, Alberta, was able to do with petroleum revenues," Harper said then. "If Alberta had been subject to these kinds of clawbacks, I tell you it would still be a have-not province today."
Harper's written and signed promise to the people of NL.
http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2006/exec/01harper.pdf
By
NL-ExPatriate, at 10:24 AM
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