Danny Williams says he is not worried about a Labrador party decision to withhold candidates in order to defeat two Tory incumbents.

The Labrador party announced Friday it will not run candidates in Labrador West and Lake Melville districts, even though the party placed second in the latter district in 2003.

'I'm surprised that a party that wants to make such a strong political statement is prepared to play political games with another party to subvert democracy,' Danny Williams says.
(CBC)

The party said the region's interests would be best served by defeating Tory incumbents Jim Baker and John Hickey.

Williams said he is not fazed by the decision.

"It's up to the Labrador party to do whatever they need to do," Williams said.

"But I'm surprised that a party that wants to make such a strong political statement is prepared to play political games with another party to subvert democracy," he said.

"But anyway, that's up to them."

Hickey won Lake Melville in a tight race in 2003. Baker won a byelection in Labrador West this winter.

The Labrador party is asking Lake Melville voters to support Liberal Chris Montague, and for Labrador West voters to back NDP candidate Darrel Brenton.
    
"What we're doing here today is in the best interest for Labrador with a strong opposition voice and although it may be other parties that will bring this opposition, it will be opposition for Labrador," party leader Ron Barron said.

Fuelling anti-PC sentiment in Labrador leading up to the Oct. 9 election is the governing PCs' energy blueprint, which many residents feel exploits Labrador resources but does little for the region itself.

Liberal Leader Gerry Reid said he understands why people in the region are furious.

"Just imagine — their resources and they're not going to benefit from it. And these two individuals (Hickey and Baker) sat around the table and allowed the premier to do that," Reid said.

Despite a threat of losing two of Labrador's four seats, the Tories are hoping to take a seat in the region in October.

Williams, who flew across Labrador on Friday, emphasized the Tory campaign in Torngat Mountains, which has voted Liberal since 1993.

Williams was mobbed by children at the school in Hopedale as he campaigned for candidate Patty Pottle, a businesswoman in the Inuit community.

"I personally consider Patty to be one of our star candidates, and I have to be quite honest with you on that," Williams said. "We're delighted to have you on board."

Pottle said she hopes her roots in the northern Labrador district will help her campaign. Her challenger is Danny Dumaresque, the provincial Liberal party president, who in the 1990s represented the former district of Eagle River, in southern Labrador.