Original sentence: During the election campaign, Chrétien promised to repeal the GST, which the Liberals had denounced so vociferously while they were the Official Opposition, and replace it with a different tax.Once in office, however, the Liberals chose to keep the GST, saying that the tax was all but essential if Canada were to erase its budget deficit and restore its economy.The decision caused great controversy, both within the party and without
Edited sentence: Despite great controversy both within and without the party, the Liberals chose to keep the GST.During the election campaign, Chrétien promised to repeal the GST, which the Liberals had denounced so vociferously while it was the Official Opposition, and replace it with a different tax.Once in office, however, the Liberals discovered that the GST was all but essential if Canada were to erase its budget deficit and restore its economy