The Liberals are practicing the fine art of trying to have it both ways.

They are critical of the Harper budget while at the same time trying to justify why they will let it pass.

To defeat it would trigger an election and Liberals don't seem to be in a big rush to go to the voters no
matter how bad they regard the Harper government policies.

Both Liberal finance critic John McCallum and industry critic Scott Brison are sounding the alarm that the government is flirting with a deficit.

McCallum says it would only take another SARS-like crisis and the continued downturn of the U.S. economy and Canada would be in the red — and not the right kind of red for Liberals, who spent years of cutting to get rid of the 42 billion dollar deficit they inherited from the Conservatives when they came to power in 1993.

So wouldn't one expect that the Liberals would want to get their hands on the levers of power to save the country from what they see as a wanton spending spree? No — their plan is to monitor the situation.

If things worsen, then they might be provoked into action.

That's not for sure. That's a maybe. Keep an eye on the polls.