The Liberal Party is in full damage-control mode after the Conservative Party released a comprehensive report that reveals how a Stéphane Dion Liberal government would plunge Canada at least $62.5 billion deeper into debt.

The bulk of this work is currently falling on senior Dion lieutenant and Liberal finance critic John McCallum who spent the past two days trying to backtrack from Stéphane Dion's commitment to spend $5.5 billion a year to fight poverty.

Mr. McCallum denied that the Liberals would need to make any poverty investments at all over a full four-year term of government.

“The Conservatives say the Liberals would eliminate poverty in year one. We don’t have the money. Reduce it by 30% in year five.” Mr. McCallum conceded in a television interview. (Source: CBC Newsworld Feb 18, 2008, 17:00 (Local) - Segment #2)

Unfortunately for Mr. McCallum, Stéphane Dion clearly committed to much more than that.

Mr. Dion has been quite clear that instead of the Conservative Government’s latest GST cut he would instead make an immediate investment in poverty. “The next GST tax cut that Mr. Harper wants to undertake would cost $5.5 billion. I will not make that cut. Instead of making that cut, I will invest in the child tax benefit and other social programs to lift Canadian children out of poverty” Mr. Dion said ( http://www.liberal.ca/story_12662_e.aspx).

John McCallum claims that poverty spending will be phased in over five years. Stéphane Dion wants billions more for poverty right away.

John McCallum claims that there is no guarantee of any money for poverty in an entire term of government. Mr. Dion’s promise is worth $22 billion in four years alone.

John McCallum claims the Liberals have no plans to raise the GST. Yet Mr. Dion's entire poverty commitment depends on him raising the GST to at least 6%.

No wonder more Canadians are concluding that the Dion Liberals cannot set priorities.

Stéphane Dion. Not a leader. Not Worth the Risk.