08 February 2007

Premiers disagree on Equalization

Demonstrating once again that the Council of the Federation is a vital tool of inter-provincial co-operation, premiers agreed yesterday to abandon any efforts to achieve a consensus on Equalization and instead move on to other topics, like energy and internal trade.

Danny Williams told reporters: "There wasn't any arguing, there was enough of that in other meetings. There was a real appetite to work together."

So much for any posturing by Danny Williams that more Premiers than Lorne Calvert were staunchly behind Williams' got-it-alone approach to inter-provincial relations. After all, one of the things Bond Papers has maintained consistently is that Williams' unilateral blustering goes over like the proverbial flatulent emission in a house of worship.

That would be the plenty of arguing thing.

So now Premiers will go on to other issues, having successfully achieved a consensus on Equalization: "No matter what happens we must be able to beat up on Ottawa."

Yep, like you haven't heard that before.