Dion: Corporate Tax Cuts More Important than Stopping Harper

As others have noted, Jack Layton's talk about a possible coalition with the Libs consisted largely of a willingness to keep options open which one would expect out of any party or leader. Which makes Stephane Dion's response rather stunning, as the Libs' leader has categorically rejected any attempt to find common ground based on his insistence on cutting corporate taxes:

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion flatly rejected forming a coalition government with the New Democrats today on the heels of hints from NDP Leader Jack Layton that he'd be open to the idea.

Mr. Dion, speaking after an address to a Vancouver-area business crowd today, said he could not work with Mr. Layton in this way because the NDP leader wants to hike taxes on business.

“We cannot have a coalition with a party that has a platform that would be damaging for the economy. Period,” the Liberal leader said.

So all that Liberal outrage about food safety deaths under the Cons? As far as Dion is concerned, he's rather let them continue than rein in corporate tax cuts.

Culture? Immigration? Aboriginal issues? Health care? Child care? All to be tossed out the window if taking action means working with the New Democrats.

And even meaningful action on the environment is apparently secondary to Dion's desire to see more money stay in corporate hands.

Needless to say, this should send about the strongest possible signal as to whose interests the Libs will once again favour when it comes time to decide which priorities are most important to them. And with the Dion seeing Harper's corporate tax cuts as so important as to be worth throwing the rest of his party's values and platform under the bus, there can't be much doubt left as to who's really standing up to the Cons.

Update: From LKO in the comments:

(T)o categorically reject the idea of a coalition based upon not wanting to implement every single piece of the NDP platform? Frankly, it suggests that Dion either A) Doesn't understand the meaning of the word "coalition", B) Doesn't think he could lead such a coalition to make the compromises necessary for it to govern, C) Isn't really running a campaign focused on gaining ground on the left the way we all thought he was, or D) Thinks he's winning the election.

No matter which it is,

That's just idiotic.