The MLA for the Shuswap isn’t demanding apologies — or doubling down – after being publicly called out by the Premier for supporting Western Canadian separatism.

“About an hour, hour and a half later it was brought to my attention, and I’m like… that’s not good,” said David Williams, the BC Conservative representative for Salmon Arm-Shuswap.

At issue was a map showing portions of Western Canada highlighted in red, which suggested the highlighted area is what could, or should in the author’s case, become a separate entity outside the bounds of Canadian jurisdiction — a separate Western Canadian state.

Williams insists he did not give the post the due diligence he should have, saying he instead interpreted it as a call for stronger leadership and a larger voice for Western Canada on a national stage.

“In light of the federal election, and in light of our current government that we have provincially, the West really needs a strong voice,” said Williams when asked specifically about the circumstances which led him to repost the map and its contents.

“I don’t think the West has been heard for a long time,” added Williams.  “Anybody who’s lived here generationally in the West, you’ve probably heard from your parents or your grandparents who say the West has never really gotten a fair shake.”

“At times, things are better.  Then they kind of revert back the other way.”

While Williams does acknowledge and agrees there is an undercurrent of western animosity toward Central and Eastern Canada, he insists he was not endorsing splitting off the western half of the country from the rest of Canada.

“Especially in light of all the world problems turmoil right now, we need a strong West,” argued Williams further.  “Collectively in the west, we have a strong voice.”

“Individually, we don’t,” added Williams.

Williams insists depth of post was not understood

While an undercurrent of Western frustration and animosity is not uncommon among politicians and other observers who see issues of concern in Ontario and Quebec dominating the federal political landscape, this particular post has drawn the ire of those who fear for Canada’s sovereignty amid the “51st State rhetoric” which has — until recently — had been coming out of the Oval Office on a semi-regular basis.

This is because under the bold script headline reading “The Republic of Western Canada,” a smaller, sub-heading reads “A Protectorate of the United States. ”

The concept would be to turn Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia — save for the south coast areas of the province — into a protectorate of the US government, similar to the status of the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, or Guam in western Pacific.

The notion of Canada being annexed by the United States has generated widespread Canadian anger toward the Trump administration for floating the idea of taking over part or all of the country for the United States’ own purposes.

It’s also rejuvenated a sense of pride and patriotism within many Canadian circles.

As such, when Williams reposted the map and added the line: “We must not give up on Vancouver and Vancouver Island.  Confederation has not been fair to western provinces.  Something needs to change,” Premier David Eby and others who saw the reposting immediately got their backs up.

Eby drew a direct line between what Williams wrote and an op-ed that morning from Reform Party co-founder and former Leader Preston Manning, who argued that if the Liberals win the federal election, there could be enough anti-Liberal Party groundswell to generate a full-blown push for Western independence.

“To have an op-ed at this moment that says that the path forward is to break up the country, which is what he said, is completely bizarre,” stated Eby on Thursday morning at the Legislature after being asked about the former political leader’s position.

“It reflects the perspective of an MLA in our own legislature who approvingly tweeted out a graphic showing Western Canada separation that he advocated we should become a protectorate of the United States… I just can’t fathom that mindset in this moment where we’re all coming together to try to rip the country apart and drive divisions,” Eby went on to contend.

Despite the optics, Williams insists this was not the message he was trying to put out by reposting the map and attaching the statement that he did.

“When something happens elsewhere in the rest of the country, there’s a lot of emphasis on it, right” argued Williams.  “When something happens here (Western Canada), it’s not quite the priority.”

“You know what, we need it to be a priority,” continued Williams.  “Because our economy and our wellbeing of our residents is important.  It doesn’t matter where you live.  We’re all Canadians.  Everybody should have equal opportunities”

Rookie MLA resists temptation to lash back, draws lesson

Despite being branded by the Premier as an advocate for separatist efforts during a time of national unity, Williams seems to have let some of the political experience which came before him in the riding rub off on him.

Williams is a first-term MLA, elected for the first time in October after taking up the BC Conservative mantle after the collapse of BC United, which was already going to be replacing the incumbent anyway.

Former BC Liberal-turned-United MLA Greg Kyllo had already decided not to seek a fourth term in office after a decade as the MLA for the Shuswap riding, which was set to absorb a portion of Salmon Arm in the last realignment which took effect this term.

Before Kyllo, the Shuswap riding was held by the man they simply called “Shuswap George,” former BC Liberal MLA George Abbott.

Abbott held the Shuswap riding for 17 years from 1996 to until handing off the baton to Kyllo in the 2013 election.

So well liked and respected for his work was Abbott that he was made an NDP appointee earlier this year to the First Nations Treaty Commission.

Asked if he had any intention of asking for an apology from the Premier for misrepresenting his intentions with the repost, David Williams’ answer was one you might expect from and Abbott or Kyllo, who understood the nuances that go with a drawn-out fight:  “I’ll let the chips fall where they may,” said Williams.

“Before I started [as the MLA for Salmon Arm-Shuswap], I worked as a regional appraiser for the BC Assessment Authority,” noted Williams with a smile heard from the other side of the telephone.

“I can take it,” he quipped.

But Williams does admit to drawing one lesson from the situation, which he said began when he was on his way out the door for the day on March 30th.

“One thing you can take out of this,” he suggested.  “Anybody who’s going to ‘retweet’ something, make sure you read it really close, and never do it when you’re busy.”