Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams is once again asking voters to choose anyone but Conservatives in the federal election.
The former Progressive Conservative leader popularized the term 鈥淎BC鈥� during the 2008 election campaign, after he said Stephen Harper broke a promise on transfer payments.
he鈥檚 surprised Harper is still 鈥渋n the game,鈥� adding, 鈥測ou can鈥檛 trust him; he lacks integrity.鈥�
Williams gave the Trans-Pacific Partnership as a reason not to trust Harper. The trade deal between 12 countries was agreed to Monday, but the full text won鈥檛 be available until after the election.
鈥淎 good trade deal is good for Canada, there鈥檚 no denying that,鈥� Williams said.
But Williams said Harper may have given up too much to get the deal done ahead of the election.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a guy now whose back is up against the wall,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 two weeks away from an election he鈥檚 in trouble in. Is that the guy you鈥檇 want negotiating for you?鈥�
The auto parts manufacturing sector and dairy farmers have long expressed concern that protectionist measures currently benefiting their industries would be reduced under the deal.
Since TPP was signed Monday, Harper has promised the auto sector a billion dollars over 10 years and dairy farmers $4.3-billion over 15 years to compensate for increased competition.
Williams said Harper can鈥檛 be trusted to deliver the compensation, adding Harper reneged on promised compensate Newfoundland鈥檚 fishing industry for the not-yet-ratified Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union.
Asked to comment on Harper鈥檚 decision to try and prevent Muslim women from wearing niqabs (face coverings) at citizenship ceremonies, Williams said Harper is 鈥渢rying to play on bigotry.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great political tactic,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a lousy prime minister but he鈥檚 a good political strategist. If he can take minor niche issues and make a big deal about them, he doesn鈥檛 have to talk about jobs (and) health care.鈥�
Williams also called Harper and 鈥渆conomic failure.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e the only country in the G7 in recession,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he dollar is down to the northern Peso rate that people talked about years ago.鈥�
Williams brought up Sen. Mike Duffy鈥檚 expense scandal too. 鈥淔or (Harper) to stand up as prime minister and say he knew nothing about the Mike Duffy situation when everybody else in his office did (is) not believable.鈥�
The ABC campaign in 2008 included a billboard along the Gardiner Expressway in vote-rich Toronto that attacked the Conservative government.
Williams hasn鈥檛 bought billboards this time around, but he noted that a veterans group has been encouraging voters to pick Anything But Conservatives.
Williams鈥� influence appeared to work his home province. The Conservative party went from holding three of province鈥檚 seven seats in 2006 to being shut out in 2008.
The Conservatives won a single seat in 2011 when Peter Penashue took Labrador, but Penashue soon quit over a campaign expenses scandal and was replaced by a Liberal.
Williams is not without his own controversy. He resigned as premier in 2009 after defending his decision to fly to Miami for heart surgery rather than using the provincial health care system.
With files from The Canadian Press
