Prime Minister Martin is very desperate to get his budget passed, but because he has a minority government and everyone hates him he's having somewhat of a hard time. In a fit of desperation, he has now allied his Liberal party with the socialist NDP in order to get the thing passed, though only after vowing to scale back his tax cuts and dramatically increase spending on social programs.

It may all be a moot point, however, as the Conservative leader Stephen Harper has already pledged to introduce a non-confidence motion at the earliest possible time. The bill is in turn expected to get the support of the Bloc Quebecois and at least one independent MP, which would in turn depose the government and force Canada into an emergency election.

My Canadian readers obviously know all this already, but I have to be a bit patronizing for our US friends.