So I've been joining in the merry little attack wagon on Danny Williams in the last few days. There's nothing wrong with that, by the way. I have a long history of criticizing governments. How else are you supposed to let them know what they're doing wrong? And I believe that Williams is currently badly off the rails as Newfoundland's premier.
So who should be the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador after the October election?
Danny Williams, obviously.
Yeah, I know. Look, let's face facts. Neither of the current opposition leaders - Gerry Reid and Lorraine Michael - are ready to step into the big chair. Reid didn't even really want to be party leader and still acts like he would genuinely prefer to be doing just about anything else right now. And there's no way that anyone, even the most hardcore, fanatic New Democrat, can believe that Michael is ready to be premier and that the NDP could handle governing. Even in the unlikely possibility that the entire voting populace of the province spontaneously got stoned and lost their minds on election day.
So Williams is it. I'm a realist, and realistically of the three party leaders, he's the best one to be premier.
What I want from Williams is to shape the fuck up. Seriously. His mom needs to shake him, his wife slap him or someone in his cabinet grow a pair of balls and say something to him. Or a TV set could drop on his head. Something. Anything.
I have no doubt that he's a smart man. I have no doubt that he has fine political skills. I have no doubt he could make an excellent premier and do real wonders in turning around the province. I thought that when he first got elected back in 2003. But he's not doing it now and it's frustrating as hell. I don't know if it was his success with the Atlantic Accord, that he apparently has no one who he respects that contradicts him, personal problems (the rumour is buzzing enough that I'm hearing it up here, so....) or whatever. But the Williams Express needs to get on the rails and soon.
Ideally what would happen in the election later this year is that the Conservatives lose seats and the populace make it known they want Williams to chart a new direction public policy wise and focus less on picking fights with Ottawa and actually working with the federal government to get things done. That most of the current Liberals don't run and that the party get some people with, you know, actual pulses in the House of Assembly. People who want to be there. And that the NDP get there couple of seats so they can raise the occasional useful point.
That's what I want. Dare to dream, I guess...
6 comments:
Call out Margeret Wente in the Globe and Mail, and yell at Paul McCartney on CNN - you're pretty much Prom King for life.
...actually, he has no political skills. He doesn't know how to deal with anyone who doesn't say "yes sir"
He has never figured out that running a government and doing deals with Ottawa is not he same as being the boss of a monopoly cable company or extorting money out of insurance companies in the so called justice system.
It's a different skill set.
So what is "smart" anyway? The ability to learn? ...the ability to exploit favorable situations as they present themselves?
I know rich people and criminals who I don't consider to be "smart" ...but have figured out how to exploit their environment to their advantage.
Greg
What personal problems? For us Newfs in exile & out of the loop, do tell!
I wonder if we could convince Liz Marshall to bitch slap Danny and threaten to take his job unless he gets his act together?
I'm going to refrain from publicly commenting on what the rumours are, simply because no one is on record as confirming it yet. Also, a few blogs have disappeared after mentioning it, with the rumour mill saying they got letters from lawyers. I'm willing to get into a fight for a good enough reason. The premier's personal life doesn't qualify.
And yes, Beth Marshall certainly has a lot of potential, either as a potential successor to Williams, or as a federal MP (would Williams campaign against her if she ran, I wonder?) But I really would like to see her back in cabinet just to see how well she would do.
She's intriguing, but I would like to see more.
Good post.
Though I'd say that I'm less worried about the fact that there's a fight with Ottawa than I am about the fact that it's not a fight based on facts and meanwhile important issues (and yes, other potential fights) are being neglected.
Danny Williams is now my MHA and I voted for him in 2003. As compared to his opponents he still has the most potential. Like you, I'd like to see him shape up.
As for Marshall, I think that she'd make a decent leader of the PC Party. . . . or a decent MP would could really do a great job representing NL's interests.
Would Danny campaign against her? most certainly. Danny Williams has left us with no doubt that he wants seven Federal Liberal MPs after the next federal election.
This is lamentable and nonsensical in so many ways visa vis even this specific equalization and revenue issue, it'd be funny if it wasn't so costly.
We've seen measurable improvements over the situation that Danny Williams" was satisfied to take and sign-off on with Paul Martin.
Operation Goose Egg is by far the most counter-productive-in-the-long-term campaign initiated by an NL politician since Smallwood's Confederate campaign in 1948. Sadly, it may yet be just as successful.
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