PM appears unwilling to kill corporate tax cuts: Corporate tax cuts? As a reader reminds me, what happened to Jack Layton's pledge to make proportional representation the price of his support? And now he's willing to settle for a few measly billions? WELL THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG: Having earlier said he would not budge on the tax cuts -- uh-uh, no way, no-how -- the PM is now sending signals that he just might, CP reports.

The Liberal government may be willing to defer $4.6 billion in corporate tax cuts in an effort to secure the support of the NDP, a senior Liberal adviser said Monday. The apparent concession came just hours after Prime Minister Paul Martin appeared to shut the door to NDP Leader Jack Layton's demand that the cuts be scrapped. "We are prepared to discuss the possible deferral of the corporate tax measures," the source said.

Perhaps caucus will give him a standing ovation now:

Liberal MPs are pressuring Paul Martin to scrap $4.6-billion in planned corporate tax cuts to get the NDP onside and fend off a defeat of the minority government. Cabinet ministers and MPs attending a Sikh ceremony at Toronto City Hall yesterday with the Prime Minister and other party leaders signalled they want Mr. Martin to do whatever he has to do to get the budget passed and keep the government going -- even if it means scrapping corporate tax cuts, scheduled to begin in 2008.

Do whatever you have to do: that sounds like them. And besides, think of all the things they could do with another $4.6-billion, on top of the $12-billion increase already built in to the budget. Things like ... well, like this, for example: Liberals to kick in $25M to build film festival centre Or this: $75M to accredit foreign health professionals And that's only $100-million...