DION STAYS THE COURSE

The Toronto Star is reporting that Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's carbon tax proposal got a rough ride during a caucus meeting yesterday.

Caucus members "massively and aggressively" warned Dion that the sales job thus far has been abysmal amid warnings that the proposal could be political suicide.

Dion will speak to the Canadian Club in Toronto today. In a speech titled "Bridge to the Future," he's expected to talk about his party's economic proposals and perhaps hint at the Liberal strategy for dealing with greenhouse gases.

Dion is defending the initiative but concedes the party will need a well-developed sales pitch to explain the carbon plan to voters. Meanwhile the Conservatives are defining the plan as a tax grab and twisting the issue as an attempt to rise gas prices on ordinary homeowners and drivers.