Danny Williams: Spice Boy

Caught in a scrum yesterday in Saskatchewan, Premier Williams had the following bizarre exchange with a well-known national political reporter:

REPORTER: Premier Williams, on this equalization and fiscal imbalance issue, I have seen you on record as wanting natural resources included in the formula, I’ve seen you wanting them taken out of the formula, your position seems to have been, how should I put this, fluid. So can you tell us what it is you really want?

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!

REPORTER: So tell me what you want, what you really really want!

WILLIAMS: I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want!

REPORTER: So tell me what you want, what you really really want!

WILLIAMS: I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigga-zig ahhhh!

OK, so maybe that whole bit’s made up. But “zigga-zig ahhhh” is no less nonsensical than Danny Williams’ actual utterances. Such as when he tells Don Newman, on CBC Newsworld’s Politics:

There would be no reason why a Prime Minister who has given this commitment in writing would arbitrarily move off that position. See, this is not about us trying to take finances or resources or monies from other provinces… So we don’t want to be in a situation where it’s seen as taking money from one province and giving it to the other… We didn’t ask to be in a situation where we’re pitted against other provinces.

And tells the Canadian Press:

... don’t pit provinces against each other, don’t take from one to give to another and use it against them…

But then turns around and tells the locals, via the Ministry of Truth:

On VOCM Open Line with Randy Simms, Williams says despite the commitment from Stephen Harper, he’s not out to hurt those already classified as have provinces. Williams says he wants the federal government to make all of the provinces whole however if they experience a financial setback while Newfoundland and Labrador gain more money, then so be it.

The Spice Girls provide about as much clarity about Danny Williams’ stance on equalization, as his own recent dyspeptic contradictions and inconsistencies do.