Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, his fortunes buoyed by a new opinion poll, told reporters on Friday he believed his minority government's budget would pass despite opposition threats to topple him as soon as possible. Martin struck a deal with the left-leaning New Democrats this week to defer planned corporate tax cuts and increase spending in return for the smaller party supporting his budget, reported Reuters. Martin's emphasis that he wanted to make Parliament work rather than being forced into an election so soon after the June 2004 vote seems to have resonated with the electorate, according to a new poll. The Strategic Counsel survey for the Globe and Mail newspaper showed the Liberals at 30 percent, with the official opposition Conservatives at 28 percent. It was the first time a poll had put the Liberals ahead since April 9. "We expect the budget to be passed," an energized Martin told reporters after announcing a day care funding agreement with the Prairie province of Manitoba. --More 2316 Local Time 2016 GMT
