Sept. 23, 1989: The GST is "an attack on the weaker regions of the country, regressive, against the lower income groups, invisible, sneaky and of course ... an administrative nightmare." - Liberal Leader John Turner
Nov. 28, 1989: "Mr. Speaker, the goods and services tax is a stupid, inept and incompetent tax." - Liberal MP Paul Martin
April 4, 1990: "I would abolish the GST.'' - Liberal MP Paul Martin
Sept. 27, 1990: "I want this tax dead.'' - Liberal Leader Jean Chretien
Oct. 29, 1990: "I am opposed to the GST. I have always been opposed to it, and I will always be opposed to it. It is a tax that is both regressive and discriminatory." - Liberal Leader Jean Chretien
Nov. 19, 1990: "We will continue to oppose the GST and the tax won't be long in place when the Liberals win the next election." - Opposition Leader Herb Gray
Feb. 11, 1993: "I say we will replace the tax. This is a commitment. You will judge me by that. If the GST is not gone, I will have a tough time the election after that." - Liberal Leader Jean Chretien
1993 - Liberal Party Red Book: "A Liberal government will replace the GST with a system that generates equivalent revenues, is fairer to consumers and to small business, minimizes disruption to small business, and promotes federal-provincial fiscal co-operation and harmonization."
May 2, 1994: "We hate it and we will kill it." - Prime Minister Jean Chretien
Aug. 11, 1995 - The Canadian Press: "On Wednesday, [Prime Minister Jean]Chretien said the replacement for the GST will be announced in the federal budget, though he didn't provide details."
Nov. 1, 2007 - The Canadian Press: "[Liberal Leader]Stephane Dion's suggestion that he might one day increase the goods-and-services tax had some of his Liberal troops shaking their heads Wednesday."
Dec. 18, 2008: "So I'm not going to take a GST hike off the table later. I just think it'd be a bad idea now in a recession." - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff
Jan. 29, 2010 - Liberal MP calls for debate on increasing GST
Illustration by Brian Gable / The Globe and Mail.