On weak positions

It's hard to see how anybody besides the most ideological of Cons could like today's federal budget. But whether or not it's based on the assumption that he doesn't have any choice other than to prop up Harper, Gilles Duceppe seems to be putting on an act to that effect:

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe says he's willing to support Prime Minister Stephen Harper's budget and prop up his minority Conservative government.

"This is a transition budget. The real budget will be next year," said Duceppe, whose party's 51 seats can combine with the Tories' 125 seats to deliver enough votes to pass the budget...

Duceppe said Harper's "firm commitment to settle the fiscal imbalance" within a year is the main reason his party will support the budget.

Harper campaigned on a promise to address the fiscal imbalance, or the difference between what the provinces send to Ottawa and the amount they receive back in federal transfer payments and other spending.

"This is the one thing we've been fighting for for quite a long time. The burden of proof is now on their side," said Duceppe.

From a quick review of the Cons' "fiscal balance" document, it seems pretty clear that any commitment is much less than firm: the Cons are leaving only a few months for discussion with all stakeholders, then banking on being able to win provincial agreement this fall. Which means that the Cons have plenty of built-in excuses if (and when?) the effort fails - and that contrary to Duceppe's statement today, the burden of proof may soon fall on the Bloc to justify its belief in Harper.