Angry in the Great White North

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion has for months been demanding action on poverty.

Back in July, Stephane Dion made it clear that fighting poverty needed money, and for that reason he would stand up against a cut in the GST:

Dion noted he opposes Prime Minister Stephen Harper's plan to cut the GST to 5 per cent for the same reason - the money is needed for federal programs.

"The Prime Minister is committed to decrease the GST by one additional point, that's $5.5 billion. I will use it to fight poverty, and I will work with municipalities on that."

Later, just two weeks ago, in fact, Stephane Dion reiterated the importance of fighting poverty by demanding action on the issue to be include in the Throne Speech:

[Stephane Dion] says the Liberals want four things in the throne speech: a revival of the Clean Air Act shelved by the Tories; Canadian troops pulled out of Afghanistan within 18 months; a real plan to fight poverty; and a plan to improve Canada's productivity.

After the Throne Speech was delivered, Stephane Dion slammed it for not doing enough on the issue of poverty:

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, who will announce the party's position on Wednesday, slammed the speech for its failure to strive to meet Kyoto targets and its "shocking indifference" to poverty.

In the House of Commons, Stephane Dion made his formal response on the issue of poverty:

In vowing to put the fight against poverty "at the heart of the Liberal agenda," Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has committed his party to focusing on the needs of the estimated 5.3 million Canadians, including 1.2 million children, who are poor.

"A plan to fight poverty is urgent," Dion said last week in his formal reply to the government's throne speech, which was devoid of any plan to address the issue.

And today, when the test came, Stephane Dion allowed the Throne Speech to pass despite the "indifference" to poverty:

Liberal members of Parliament abstained from voting on the speech from the throne Wednesday night, ensuring its passage and staving off the prospect of an immediate election.

NDP Leader Jack Layton blasted Dion over his refusal to vote against the throne speech, saying the move effectively gives Harper majority government status.

He accused the Liberals of failing in their duties as Her Majesty's official Opposition merely to avoid going to the polls.

And now the word is that the finance minister, Jim Flaherty, is planning to shave another point off of the GST. Back in July, Stephane Dion said a GST cut could not be allowed to pass since it would put any plan to fight poverty at risk. In October, Stephane Dion said that a Throne Speech that did not address poverty would not be allowed to pass.

The Throne Speech has passed even though Stephane Dion fumed that it did not address poverty.

Stephane Dion allowed it to pass.

And now via the Canadian Press wire, word that the Stephane Dion will allow a GST cut to pass as well:

GST cut not awful enough to force Liberals into toppling government: Dion
By Julian Beltrame

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The federal Liberals won't topple the minority Conservative government even if it cuts the GST to five per cent in the fall economic update, Stephane Dion said Wednesday.

The Liberal leader was responding to growing speculation that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will include the poison pill of an early GST cut in his economic update, expected in the next two weeks.

"If Canadians didn't want an election last week, I don't think they will want one next week,'' said Dion when asked how he would react to a GST cut.

The money saved by Canadians through a 1% GST cut: $5 billion
An election to challenge Stephen Harper on the issue of poverty: $250 million
A promise from Stephane Dion to fight on behalf of the poor: Worthless