Angry in the Great White North

Ever since Stephane Dion became Liberal Party leader, we've seen the Liberal Party struggle in Quebec. 

Not really news.

But the Liberals have always polled well in Atlantic Canada.  In an upcoming election, the Liberal core vote would be Atlantic Canada, Montreal, and southern Ontario.

Are the Liberals now in trouble in one of those three redoubts?

In a poll on March 28, 2008, Angus Reid reported the Liberals ahead of the Conservatives in Atlantic Canada 37% to 36% in voter intention (full poll results).

In June 2008, the Liberals were even farther ahead, 43% to 32% (full poll results).

Then in July 2008, the Liberals lost ground, maintaining a lead over the Conservatives 34% to 32% (full poll results).

Now, after a summer of explaining the carbon tax, the Liberals seem to have lost grip on the Atlantic provinces, and by a wide margin.  The Conservatives are polling ahead of the Liberals by 9 points, 38% to 29% (full poll results).

Is it any wonder that Wayne Easter (Liberal MP from Prince Edward Island) and Robert Thibault (Liberal MP from Nova Scotia) are dramatically downplaying the carbon tax?  And that they're doing it publicly, playing to their constituents and ignoring any potential damage that their comments would have on the Liberal Party as a whole, and on Stephane Dion in particular:

But even with an election looming, Easter said caucus still needs to discuss the green shift adjustments that constituents have told MPs are necessary.

"There's been positive feedback but there's also been some adjustments that need to be made and we really need to sit down and talk about that and put our best foot forward," Easter said.

When Dion launched the green shift last June, he said Liberals would spend the summer having a "dialogue" with Canadians about the complicated plan. Since then, one insider said the leader has rejected any criticism of the plan, insisting "there will be no changes, not a comma."'

However, Easter and other MPs clearly remain under the impression that the plan can and will be fine-tuned.

Robert Thibault, a Nova Scotia MP, said the purpose of the summer consultations was to determine "what are the adjustments that have to happen, not to assume we got it all 100 per cent, completely right."

While Dion has touted the green shift as a comprehensive, detailed plan to combat climate change, Thibault said: "In my mind, it's a statement of principles, it's not a recipe."

Every Liberal MP for himself?  What if the numbers get even worse?