Danny Williams (Canadian politician)
Daniel E. Williams is a Canadian politician, businessman, and lawyer who served as the ninth premier of Newfoundland and Labrador between November 6, 2003, and December 3, 2010.
Williams was born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Before entering politics Williams was a highly successful lawyer and businessman.
After becoming Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001, he was elected to the House of Assembly in a by-election for the district of Humber West in Corner Brook.
Williams's premiership was controversial outside of Newfoundland and Labrador. Events such as ordering all Canadian flags to be removed from provincial government buildings, and launching the Anything But Conservative campaign in the 2008 federal election, garnered national attention. While Williams remains a controversial politician outside Newfoundland and Labrador, he was continuously ranked as one of the most popular premiers, with approval ratings in the province consistently in the high seventies and eighties.
Early life and education
Daniel E. Williams was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, the eldest of four children to Thomas Williams and Teresita. He received his early education from Saint Bonaventure's College and then Gonzaga High School. The Williams family have been Progressive Conservatives since the province's confederation with Canada; Williams handed out brochures and put up signs in support of John Diefenbaker's campaign to be prime minister.Williams went on to study at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he received a degree in political science and economics. In 1969, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship and went to Keble College, Oxford, United Kingdom to read Arts in Law. Whilst at Oxford, he played hockey for the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club. He then attended Dalhousie University, Halifax where he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree.
Professional and business career
While still in law school, Williams led a consortium of businesspeople that was granted one of Newfoundland's first cable television licences and started the company "Avalon Cablevision". Through major acquisitions and the very early adoption of the Internet ISP business, he built Cable Atlantic into one of the largest communications companies in Atlantic Canada. As the principal owner, he sold the telecommunications portion of the business for $76 million in April 2000, to GT Group Telecom Inc. The cable TV portion of Cable Atlantic was sold to Rogers Cable Inc. for $152 million in November 2000. This sale plus the success of his extensive law practice gave him the nickname of "Danny Millions" during the early 2000s.
Williams has been practising law since 1972, becoming a financially successful lawyer, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1984. His firm represented many of the abused altar boys and orphans who sued the Roman Catholic Church, the Christian Brothers and the province of Newfoundland following the Mount Cashel Orphanage scandal.
Williams served as president of OIS Fisher, an oil and natural gas company, and has invested in golf courses and resorts throughout the province. He has also served as the Chairman of the Canadian Parliamentary Channel, the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation as well as the Provincial Government Offshore Oil Impact Advisory Council.
While he was the owner of Cable Atlantic, Williams purchased the naming rights to a sports complex in St. John's for $600,000 from Molson. Before the centre opened, however, Williams had sold Cable Atlantic to Rogers Communications to pursue his political career, but retained the naming rights. Ultimately, he chose to name the centre Mile One Stadium, based on the venue's location at the beginning of the Trans Canada Highway.
Early political career
Leader of the Opposition
In 2000, after years of speculation Williams announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, and was returned uncontested on April 7, 2001. On June 19, 2001, he won a by-election in the Corner Brook district of Humber West.Support for the PC party saw a big bounce when Williams became leader. Four by-elections were held during the two years he was the Opposition Leader and each seat was won by a PC candidate. In September 2001, Liberal Assemblyman Ross Wiseman crossed the floor of the House of Assembly to join the Progressive Conservative caucus. During his time as Opposition Leader, Williams donated his legislative salary to charity.
2003 election
Since succeeding Beaton Tulk as Premier of Newfoundland in February 2001, Premier Roger Grimes had been under opposition pressure to legitimize his mandate at the polls after winning the leadership of the Liberal Party. On September 29, 2003, Grimes called an election for October 21, 2003.Polls leading up to and during the election showed that the Progressive Conservatives under Williams had a substantial lead over their main competitor the Liberals, as well as the New Democratic Party. Williams campaigned for change and promised to control spending, streamline the public service and create jobs.
The Progressive Conservatives captured nearly 59% of the vote and won 34 of the 48 seats in the 2003 general election. This win marked only the third change of government in the 54 years since the province joined Canada, and ended nearly 15 years of Liberal Party rule. As party leader, Williams became the province's ninth Premier.
Premier
First term
Soon after being elected, Williams announced the province's debts were so burdensome that he had no choice but to cut spending and freeze wages. Based on the projected $840 million budget deficit for 2004, the government announced sweeping cuts. A number of projects would be cut, and others delayed. Cuts included three health care facilities and a school; delayed projects included, most notably, the opening of The Rooms, the province's cultural facility that was under construction. Spurred by the administration's announcement of pay-freeze and plan to eliminate 4,000 public sector jobs, a strike was declared among the 20,000 public sector employees two days following the announcement, at midnight April 1, 2004. The strike ended nearly a month later when Williams reneged on a campaign promise and legislated the employees back to work. Later that year, the Williams government compressed health and education boards in an attempt for a more efficient delivery of services, a move that still receives criticism in the province.An opinion poll conducted in June 2004 showed that support for the Premier and the Progressive Conservatives had plunged. From its nearly 60 percent share of the vote in the general election seven months earlier, support had shrunk to 41 percent, almost tied with the Liberals at 39 percent. His personal support as choice of Premier fell to 39 percent, a marked fall from 65 percent he enjoyed just six months earlier.
Williams' popularity increased when he fought with then Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin over a campaign promise Martin had made that would lead to a revised Atlantic Accord. Martin proposed an eight-year deal that the province would keep 100 percent of offshore oil revenues, but with a cap to keep the province from surpassing the per capita tax revenue of Ontario. Williams, supported by the other provincial leaders, walked out of talks with Martin, saying that cap would cost the provincial government billions of dollars in lost revenue over the life of its three oil fields. Williams along with Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm, who also wanted the same deal as Newfoundland and Labrador, met with the Prime Minister on several occasions but a deal between Ottawa and the two provinces could not be reached. Williams raised the temperature on December 23, 2004, when he ordered the removal of all Canadian flags from provincial government buildings. On January 10, 2005, Canadian flags started flying once again in the province, and several weeks later Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia reached a deal with Ottawa. A March opinion poll indicated that support for the Williams government had rebounded to 86 percent.
On March 3, 2006, Williams appeared on Larry King Live where Paul McCartney and then-wife Heather Mills argued the seal hunt was inhumane because seal cubs were being clubbed to death. Williams said the annual hunt is supported by scientists, veterinarians and organizations like the UN and the World Wildlife Fund, and that 90% of seals are killed by bullet. Williams accused the McCartneys of being used by IFAW, Greenpeace and PETA to help them raise funds. He then invited the McCartneys to visit Newfoundland and Labrador.
2007 election
On August 21, 2007, Williams signed a Memorandum of understanding for the Hebron offshore oilfield with several major oil companies in which government royalties were exchanged for a 4.9 percent equity stake in the project. On September 17, 2007, Williams called a provincial election. Williams' popularity was riding at 75%, and polls during the campaign showed the Conservatives reaching up to 86 percent of voter support.After the vote count, the Progressive Conservatives emerged with nine more seats than they held at the dissolution of the previous legislature. The party had won 69.5 percent of the popular vote, the highest popular vote share ever attained by the PC party in the province. Three Liberal incumbents, as well as NDP leader Lorraine Michael, successfully held their seats. Notably, however, Liberal leader Gerry Reid was not reelected in his own district. The next month Williams' Progressive Conservatives increased their seat count to 44 out of 48, after winning a deferred election in Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans following the death of Liberal candidate Gerry Tobin on October 1.