P.E.I.'s Opposition Progressive Conservatives will end a filibuster that blocked tabling of the government's budget, sources tell CBC News.

Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan is expected to begin his budget address Wednesday.

The Liberal budget was supposed to be tabled Tuesday, but Opposition member Jim Bagnall continued a response to the speech from the throne for almost two hours, speaking right up until it was time for the house to adjourn, leaving no time for the budget.

Bagnall said the delay could have been avoided if government had just allowed the Opposition more time last week to comment on the throne speech.

"Thursday night when we were planning to speak they brought a bill on the floor and stopped us from speaking," said Bagnall.

"I suggested to the Speaker that we may as well continue with the speech from the throne, that [Tory MLA] Mike Currie was prepared to go right away and I was going to follow him."

But the government instead decided to start debating the merits of the canned beverages bill.

"If we would have ever thought they were going to pull off a stunt like this we sure would have given them another hour," said Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan.

"We left lots of time for them to speak to it."

Bagnall also complained last week that his party heard when the budget would be tabled through the news media, rather than directly from the government.

Sources with the Tories say they will allow the tabling of the budget Wednesday. Bagnall plans to speak for a few minutes on an amendment to the throne speech, and then Opposition leader Olive Crane will also speak on that amendment.

Bagnall will then wrap up his comments on the throne speech and allow government to present its budget.

Journalists sworn to secrecy

The unusual delay has led to seven journalists learning about the budget, but not being allowed to talk about it.

The journalists were shown advance copies in a lockup Tuesday. The lockup provides journalists time to look at the budget so they can report on it the moment it is tabled.

Under normal circumstances, journalists must remain in the lockup until the treasurer's budget speech starts. On Tuesday, aware of the Tories' planned filibuster, they went in at the risk of being locked in overnight. Journalists were told cots would be available.

In the end, government relented and released the journalists at 5 p.m., when the legislature closed and there was no further possibility of the budget being presented. The journalists had to swear to secrecy about the budget details before a lawyer.

Should any break their silence, it could be the last time they get an advance look at the budget.