Just like countless premiers before him, Williams seems to think he can achieve a positive result from talking to a guy who is so opposed to the use of animals by humans that he doesn't even like having them as pets.
This quote shows just how little the Prem and his advisors understand about McCartney and his personal agenda:
"I urge everyone, including Sir Paul McCartney, to question the motives of such individuals and to consider the irony of these protest organizations ignoring the plight of our depleted groundfish stocks due to foreign overfishing. Surely this is an ecological disaster worthy of their attention. These organizations do not pay the same attention to the methods used by slaughterhouses and what happens behind those doors. They are silent about the force-feeding of ducks and geese to produce enlarged livers for use as foie gras. Yet they continually assault the seal fishery, which is one of the best managed harvests of wild animals in the world."See, Danny, if you get Sir Paul in a room, he'll explain to you why you need to stop fishing - not manage it better. He'll explain the amount of work he's done to end the foie gras industry and close slaughterhouses.
You see, Sir Paul is a vegan, which is only one step away from being a fruitarian. This guy not only doesn't eat meat of any kind, he also gives a pass to cheese and milk.
So you gotta ask yourself in what universe will it bring anyone any good to sit and have a chat with Sir Paul on an issue where his mind is so closed it has seized up?
Maybe the universe of Danny's scrapbook.
Maybe the universe where some premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador think they always have to be seen to be fighting for Newfoundland and Labrador even when the fight will likely undermine efforts to rebrand the province by increasing the international media coverage of the meeting.
That's the coverage where Danny gets branded as the youngest and uncoolest premier of the old and uncool place where they bash cute little animals over the head with a club and skin them alive. I know that isn't what goes on exactly, but we are talking about the pre-written script for this annual event and Danny ain't gonna re-write the copy from what is now a more lucrative money-generator than the seal hunt ever was.
Of course, that assumes that Sir Paul is willing to meet with Danny.
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Update:
Listening to the Fisheries Broadcast on CBC Radio this evening, it starts to get a little clearer what universe chatting with Sir Paul makes sense.
It's the same world inhabitted by John Efford and sealer Mark Small who give the time-honoured arguments. It's more humane to bash seals than to engage in fox hunts. People depend on the fishery for their living. There are plenty of seals. Small even went so far as to believe that once presented with the facts, Sir paul could become a champion of our seal industry.
In other words, this is the same universe inhabited by Our Danny, the place where they don't pay any attention at all.
Guys:
1. McCartney's mind is closed.
2. He doesn't believe there is any valid use for animals by humans. None. Not a one.
3. When you try to engage him in any way you play into his hands and the hands of the people he is raising money for.
Let it rest.
Ooops.
Too late.
The moths are already circling the flame-thrower of Sir Paul's celebrity.