The Conservatives accused the Liberals of getting into bed with the Bloc Quebecois to pass the NDP-inspired budget bill in a surprise vote Thursday, when they used a rarely-used measure to cap debate.

But both Grits and Bloquistes denied the charge, saying they simply wanted to end debate to get to the vote, and that they had in no way forged a formal alliance.

The play ambushed the Conservatives, leaving them outnumbered and fuming.

Conservative House Leader Jay Hill said the tactic was so unexpected the Tories could never have predicted the move.

"It's very seldom used because it's very unusual that Opposition parties will agree to end debate, like I said especially on the NDP budget bill, that the Bloc Quebecois supposedly opposed. And yet they supported closing the debate," he said, appearing on CTV's Question Period.

"One can only assume it was because they got something for taking that extraordinary action."

But Liberal House Leader Tony Valeri, who has been called the supposed master parliamentary strategist behind the move, is quick to deny that any strategies or deals were involved.

"What we did was essentially talk to the other parties and say do you want to have a vote on legislation or do you want to just continue debate?" Valeri said, appearing on CTV's Question Period.

"And the other parties were not putting up a lot of speakers. They saw clearly that the intention of the Conservatives was to continue delay and not to have a vote in the House of Commons."

When pressed further on deal-making charges, Valeri said firmly: "There's been no deal with Bloc...I'm working with parliamentarians and with parties to move the agenda and Parliament along."

The Bloc also dismissed accusations of back-room arrangements, backing the Liberals' position.

"We wanted to be done with C-48 and go to C-38 because we believe that same-sex marriage should be passed as soon as possible because it's a human rights issue," said Bloc MP Richard Marceau.

"There was no formal alliance with the Conservatives."

When asked whether the Liberals may consider making future deals with the Bloc, Liberal strategist Scott Reid quipped that it would be impossible.

"Who could actually get into bed with (Bloc Leader) Gilles Duceppe? (Conservative Leader) Stephen Harper has been hogging the sheets for months," Reid said.

"I've got to tell you the characterization as a deal is a bit overexcited. What happened was this, the Bloc wanted to get to the vote on the budget bill, the Conservatives said they didn't.

"We are in the business of getting that bill done...we are going to work to make parliament work. Cutting deals? No."

The passage of the Liberal-NDP budget bill destroyed the last hope for opponents to force a delay in the same-sex marriage bill, which could now be passed next week.

Bill supporters have been pushing the federal government to pass it before the summer break.

The Conservatives are expected to put up many MPs to speak on the bill to keep debate going for several days.

Hill wouldn't say how many of his members would want to have a say before the bill comes to a vote, but he noted there were more than 70 Tories on the list the last time the topic was debated.

A procedural standstill could prompt the Liberals to try the same move to limit debate, although they have said they will allow debate unless Conservatives try using obstruction tactics.