The Conservatives have released their newly revised budget, and it was good enough to avoid the threat of the Liberal/NDP/Bloc Coalition.  http://news.therecord.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/478335  And although the Liberals are making strong statements, saying they're putting the Tories on probation, I think Layton said it best:

Quoted Text

We have a new coalition on Parliament Hill; it’s a coalition between Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff.

Source:http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/28/ignatieff-decision.html
The bulk of the budget seems to be all conditional on further spending from people like you and me.  For example, the $12 Billion for infrastructure depends on matching funds from the provinces and municipalities.  They are always whining about not having enough money as it is.  Where will they get the extra money?  By raising PST and property taxes?

I have a few issues with this little process.  First, the NDP saying they would never support the budget well before they even had a chance to view it.  In my opinion Layton is being unreasonable.  Ducepe is no better, striking down Ignatiev for taking the time to read the budget before coming to a decision.  Ducepe is whining that the budget is for Ontario and the rest of Canada, somehow implying that the money in budget will never be seen in Quebec.  As if!

Ignatiev I think comes out looking the best for the following reasons:

1. He is seen as being the prudent one by taking the time to read the budget.
2. He is holding the conservatives accountable by wanting reports in march, june and december AND making them confidence votes!
3. He understands, perhaps what the NDP and Bloc fail to, that we DO NOT WANT ANOTHER ELECTION!

THis is how government should work.  

As a footnote, I am still a green party supporter.

I do agree with you that Ignatieff was being prudent, but I think NDP and Bloc were saying they wouldn't support the budget simply so that the onus is all on the liberals.  If the conservatives do anything unpopular, or the economy doesn't get better, the NDP and the Bloc can throw their hands in the air and say "We tried!  Blame the Liberals."  It's all posturing.

I would also argue that they too didn't want another election.  It wouldn't give them nearly as sweet a position as a coalition.  THAT is what they were pushing for.

It's good that Ignatieff added the accountability requirements (to a government that's supposedly "Accountable" if you recall their campaign slogan), but is this not just enabling the Conservatives again?

Yes, Layton was bristling mad with regard to the coalition collapsing.  That, coupled with his outright, no matter what's in the budget, voting against the budget shows he wanted more power.  It's not about working it was about leverage and he lost it, both figuratively and literally.  

Now, instead of actually working with the other parties to get a really good budget he'll pout and cry and whine.  I've lost a lot of respect for him as a national leader.

Rick Mercer's latest blog entry deals with exactly this topic: http://www.rickmercer.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/2/3

You need to see Rick Mercer's explanation of how the government works: http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport.....ralObject=1020676523