The Liberals and Bloc Quebecois succeeded Monday in allowing a special committee to study the proposed Clean Air Act for a further 11 days, pushing the original deadline past the expected spring budget.

The deadline is now set for March 30.

NDP Leader Jack Layton had wanted action on the Clean Air Act before the federal budget is unveiled on March 20, while Liberals had argued for more time.

"I think if it gets dragged on beyond the budget, then it gets all tied up in all the other issues that are inevitably involved in a budget," Layton told Mike Duffy Live earlier in the day.

The Conservatives are ready to agree to short-term targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a cap on emissions from industrial polluters, tougher fuel-efficiency standards for automobiles, and possibly cuts in subsidies for the oil industry.

Layton has asked for changes in those areas of the bill, in exchange for the support of his party's 29-member caucus.

Meanwhile, Environment Minister John Baird said he has met with representatives from the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois in hopes of working together to "drive forward our environmental agenda."

"I don't think any of us want an election this spring," said Baird.

"We've got a big agenda to get through, so we hope we can focus on getting results and real action on the environment and other issues."

Deputy Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff called the Clean Air Act redundant, claiming existing legislation would be just as effective in cleaning up Canada's air quality.

While he said that "if we can salvage something from this wretched act, we will try to do so," he argued that the timeline proposed by the Conservatives and NDP was too short.

Ignatieff also blamed Layton for keeping the Conservatives in power for his own party's benefit.

"The NDP is in a bad position," he said. "They're being squeezed by the Greens, and inside of the party they're increasingly uncomfortable that they're basically holding up the Harper regime, which did absolutely nothing on climate change for a year until they looked at some polls."

Question period resumes

When question period resumed in Parliament Monday, there was much debate over which party is more concerned about the environment -- the issue that now tops the list of priorities for the Canadian public.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of denying that climate change exists.

"Will the prime minister admit that when he cut $5.6 billion in climate change programs, broke Canada's word on Kyoto, went to Vancouver to announce a so-called Clean Air Act that was so weak that he had to fire his minister a few weeks after, it was because he does not believe in the science of climate change?" Dion asked in his first question.

Harper responded that his party is taking steps to curb greenhouse gases by offering funding for "eco energy" initiatives, renewable fuels, and making investments in public transit.

He retorted that it was Dion, as environment minister from 2004 to early 2006, who failed to take action on the environment.

"It's this member when in power who signed the Kyoto protocol, then for a decade did nothing to get it done. He left Canada with the worst record under Kyoto in the entire world. He didn't get it done," Harper shot back.

All the federal parties are working hard to raise their green profile as polls indicate Canadians are becoming more worried about the environment.

The issue is expected one of the key points of debate during this spring session.

And as though expecting that the environment issue could push Parliament into an election, the Conservatives have already launched attack ads aimed at Dion's record on the environment file.

With the ads, CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife says Canadians can expect a nasty parliamentary session.

"If this keeps up, we're going to see fistfights break out on the floor of the House of Commons," he said.

"This is going to be a nasty and brutish session. The danger is this could lead to an election that no party wants."

Ignatieff said his party would be willing to enter an election if they don't like the spring budget.

"We're deciding this on principle," he said. "If there's stuff in the budget that we can't stand, we're going to vote it down."