Is this a hint of how much Canadians are really fretting about global warming?

Or just a sign that Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion couldn't get arrested in some parts of the country even if he tried?

In any case, Stephane Dion runs the risk of being known simply as "that tax guy", if he is recognized at all:

Federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion blew into town in a carbon-free vehicle last week. Well, we're not sure but we assume he wasn't blowing any extra tax out of his exhaust.

After an interview at the ol' T&T, Dion and local MPs Brian Murphy and Dominic LeBlanc were next to the Transcript building on Bonaccord Street when they were spotted by a woman crossing the street.

"Oh my goodness, isn't it wonderful to meet Brian Murphy and George LeBlanc at the same time," she gushed.

Um, this isn't Moncton's new mayor, Smilin' Brian politely corrected her. "It's our federal Liberal leader, Stephane Dion."

The woman looked puzzled for a moment, said 'Oh', and moved on.

Perhaps Dion should take that as a sign of his popularity now that he has donned the armour of 'Carbon Tax Man'.

What is really funny is that this is not lost of Liberals.  Someone posted this as part of a discussion on a Liberal Party policy forum:

Dion was actually here in my city last week.  On the street no one knew who he was, even though he was with two local liberal MP's.  When they would intoduce him there would be a polite "oh" and then walk away.  Green shift is not going over well me thinks.......

OK, it wasn't so much a discussion as it was a shouting match between anti-carbon-tax Liberals and pro-carbon-tax Liberals, with a generous helping of Alberta-bashing tossed in for good measure.

I don't know if that person was re-posting the story from that article (and adding embellishments by suggesting multiple persons didn't recognize Stephane Dion and were unimpressed to find out who he was) or if this person had better information of what really happened on the street.  But clearly there is a fight going on inside the Liberal Party, and stories like this are providing ammunition to Liberals who want to see this carbon tax plan go away.  Maybe Stephane Dion too.