It may the greatest test any politician can face: how does an already challenged leader sell the one thing most voters will never accept - the spectre of a new tax?
That's the problem Stephane Dion tried to meet as his caucus gathered in Winnipeg Tuesday night for a vital confab before the expected federal election call this week.
The Liberal chief needs to convince voters his Green Shift plan won't force them to pay more for gas, only punish those who cause excessive pollution. That's not how the Conservatives are playing it, of course, and it's going to be something the Grits will have to contend with over the next few weeks if they hope to stop Stephen Harper from getting back into power.
Even the staunchest supporters agree educating the public may be the toughest task. "The green shift, it's not easy to understand," admits MP Belinda Stronach. "I've read it myself. You know, it sounds complicated on the outside."
The fact that Dion came to Winnipeg to do his selling speaks to how unusual the task is. Oil and diesel are big commodities on western farms, and the Liberals admit they're contemplating altering the plan to make it a little more friendly for those who till the fields.
Some truckers and farmers believe the plan will raise their fuel bills and cut their livelihoods. The response? Amend the policy to include tax breaks in agricultural sectors.
But the Liberals deny they're buckling to western pressure. "It would be the case if we were backing off and exempting," Dion explains. "We are not in the world of exemptions."
Some voters seem to like the change. "I've always said that, once he starts talking to people at town halls [things will be different] and he's done that from the very beginning," agrees Derek Johnstone. "He's gone out. He's talked to people at the grassroots level."
But critics aren't so ready to accept the alterations, claiming it's irresponsible for the Liberals' campaign centrepiece to be a continuing work in progress. The Grits deny it, saying they're only listening to the public and that giving voters what they want shows good leadership.
In the end, you will get the final say, as Harper is expected to dissolve Parliament towards the end of the week and let the best man - or woman - make their case with the electorate.