Ottawa will consider supporting legislation that would force oil companies to develop offshore fields within a certain time frame, Newfoundland and Labrador's premier said after meeting Saturday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Danny Williams said that during a private meeting Harper appeared supportive, if the legislation were to apply only to future discoveries.

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"We all continue to marvel at the poll numbers of Danny Williams," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. "Heck, this guy gets higher approval from the population than I do from my own family."
(Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
Harper would not say whether his government is mulling a proposal on so-called fallow-field legislation for the offshore sector, but Williams said the two had a "very, very, very frank discussion" on the subject.

"He indicated that there appeared to be an appetite for considering fallow-field [legislation] on a go-forward basis, and to be quite honest with you, that's the way it should be," Williams said.

"For me, that was a no-brainer, but it looks like it's going to happen … I guess they're hearing the argument, which we feel is a very valid and a very logical argument, quite frankly."

Williams has pushed for fallow-field legislation since Chevron Canada Ltd., the operator of the Hebron offshore oil platform, disbanded its project team in April after the province and an oil consortium could not agree on fiscal terms and benefits.

For some time, Harper has denied Williams's call for the legislation, arguing it contradicts Canadian market principles.

But Harper said Saturday that Newfoundland would be at the centre as Canada emerges as an energy superpower.

Williams's popularity above 70 per cent: polls

The prime minister gushed over Williams in his speech Saturday to the provincial Progressive Conservative convention in Gander, in what was seen as an attempt to repair a strained relationship with the outspoken premier and perhaps capitalize on Williams's popularity.

Two opinion polls this year suggest Williams enjoys an approval rating above 70 per cent.

"We all continue to marvel at the poll numbers of Danny Williams," Harper said. "Heck, this guy gets higher approval from the population than I do from my own family."

Williams has lashed out at the prime minister a number of times in the past, including several months ago, when he went so far as to accuse Harper of being a "big buddy to big oil" and abandoning the province for his friends in the industry.

Williams also said he doesn't mind if Harper joins the bandwagon to gain support in the province.

"If Prime Minister Harper wants to hitch his bandwagon there, I have no problem with that, providing of course he's being fair to this province," Williams said. "Because if he doesn't deliver on his commitments to the province, then that's a whole different ball game."

With files from the Canadian Press