Prime Minister Paul Martin is flatly denying accusations his office tried to offer a Conservative MP and his wife, who is also an MP, patronage posts in exchange for their sitting out today's crucial budget vote.

"No such offers were made," Martin said in the House of Commons.

However, the Prime Minister said "offers were solicited and offers were turned down."

Martin's denial contradicts comments made by British Columbia MP Gurmant Grewal on Wednesday.

"I was approached early this week by Ujjal Dosanjh and asked to abstain or vote with the government on the budget vote," Grewal told reporters on Parliament Hill.

"In exchange, I was given an understanding that I would be rewarded in some fashion."

And, Grewal said, the offer was made not only to him but also to his Conservative MP wife Nina Grewal.

Grewal also said he's been made such offers before, but this time is different.

"Last time when I was made an offer, I didn't have any evidence," he said, insisting that this time he has an audio recording of the offer from Liberal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and the prime minister's chief of staff, Tim Murphy.

Three or four other MPs were said to be the target of similar negotiations, Grewal added.

"At no time did I have any intention of accepting these offers," the MP said. "I entered these discussions to determine the level to which the Liberal party and Paul Martin were willing to sink to save their government."

Fife said it's still not clear exactly what happened or who contacted who first.

"That issue hasn't really been cleared up."

"We do know from the tapes that he had -- because Mr. Grewal taped his conversations with the prime minister's chief of staff -- they were discussing Senate appointments."

A short while later, Dosanjh convened reporters to give his own account of what transpired.

Dosanjh said he was approached on Saturday night by a mutual friend who said the Grewals would "cross the floor provided she gets a senate seat and he gets a cabinet post."

The minister said the two met over beer and pizza on Tuesday night, at which point he dismissed the suggestion as inappropriate and directed Grewal to take up the matter of switching political allegiance with Murphy.

"I'm actually offended he couldn't take no for an answer," Dosanjh added, insisting that his party never offered any Conservative MPs anything to lure them over.