 Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams. (CPimages/Andrew Vaughan) |
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The role of Canada's most vocal politician was up for grabs after Alberta Premier Ralph Klein decided to leave the political arena.
Cue Danny Williams.
In the past month, the Newfoundland and Labrador premier has stomped on territory where other premiers would fear to tread.
He bluntly assessed Quebec's political climate as "volatile" and agitated the Prime Minister's Office in his fight over federal equalization payments, making a national splash in the process.
"Mad rock - I think that's probably my nickname in Ottawa these days," Williams chuckled Thursday in a speech at a conference of maritime emergency officials.
The hard-nosed Progressive Conservative laughs when asked for his thoughts on the Klein comparisons, but says he admires the outgoing Alberta premier's political style.
"I like his frankness," Williams said after his speech. "What you see is what you get. I'd like to think I'm the same way. I don't keep my cards close to my chest."
But Williams, slammed in the past by critics as a blustering politician who lacks tact, maintained that his headline-grabbing comments are not merely for show.
"These actions are based on principles which I stand by," he said. "I hope that the Canadian people appreciate the frankness, which is something that Ralph gave as well."
Williams has made a political career of fighting.
In December 2004, he pulled down the Canadian flags from provincial buildings during talks for a revamped Atlantic Accord to give Newfoundland full protection against equalization clawbacks on offshore royalties.
A month later, the flags went back up, and an agreement was reached after marathon talks in Ottawa.
Nearly two months ago, Williams accused the prime minister of pandering to the interests of foreign oil companies, calling Stephen Harper "a big buddy of Big Oil."
At his party's annual convention in Gander, N.L., two weeks ago, Williams put Harper on notice, vowing that he would encourage every Newfoundlander to vote against the federal Conservatives if the province loses out in a revised equalization formula.
"He probably is the most outspoken premier in Canada," said Michael Temelini, a political science professor at Memorial University.
"If you ask most Newfoundlanders, they'll tell you that the rest of Canada just doesn't care, so what's the difference? If you stay quiet, no one cares. If you speak up, maybe he'll run the risk of nobody caring, but nobody cares anyway, so what has he got to lose?"
In a province with seven federal seats, Williams's stance would normally mean little in Ottawa - but it has more leverage given the minority government, Temelini said.
"Now we're faced with a very intriguing historical moment where every single seat in Parliament counts," he said.
"Danny Williams understands this historical contingency here. He understands the historical moment, so he's saying, 'I'm going to play hardball.' "
Williams, like Klein during his heyday in Alberta, enjoys sky-high popularity ratings in Newfoundland and Labrador. At least two polls this year have suggested Williams has an approval rating above 70 per cent.
And in another similarity with Klein, the 56-year-old Williams does not alter his attitude in the face of national criticism.
"I think you're seeing in a guy like Danny Williams a slightly different approach to the relationship with the federal government," Temelini said.
"That's a risk worth taking if people are going to start listening to you. I don't think he really cares."
