OTTAWA -- The federal New Democratic Party will press Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to include billions of new spending on green infrastructure projects and on beefed up childcare programs.

The party also warned Mr. Flaherty away from a program of tax cuts to stimulate the economy, saying cutting reductions only reward those wealthy enough to pay taxes and do nothing to help consumers or businesses who are struggling to make ends meeting.

Thomas Mulcair, the lone NDP MP from Quebec and his party's finance critic, said the Conservatives have broken their word to Canadians.

"The government has misled us several times," said Mr. Mulcair. "The government track record for three years of Harper-Flaherty is quite devastating."

Mr. Mulcair and Winnipeg NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis are to meet Mr. Flaherty late Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Mulcair told reporters "it's highly unlikely," his party would support the budget.

"There's a lot of skepticism on our end as to whether or not they're sincere, as to whether or not they can be believed."

However, he allowed for a remote chance of a last-minute change of Mr. Flaherty agreed to the opposition's ideas. "Miracles happen," he said.

Mr. Mulcair said the NDP remains ready to bring down the government, even before seeing details of the spending plan.

The NDP has no power to unseat Prime Minister Stephen Harper on its own, with only 37 seats in the 308-member House of Commons. But late last year it formed a coalition with the main opposition Liberals, with backing of the separatist Bloc Quebecois. Combined, they would have enough clout to defeat the minority government.

Adding to the uncertainty about the fate of the budget, the Liberals' new leader Michael Ignatieff has been more cautious about replacing Mr. Harper since he took over the party leadership on December 10. There is speculation he might abandon the coalition idea, negotiated by his predecessor Stephane Dion, and opt to face the electorate on his own at a later date.

Unlike the NDP, the Liberals have said they want to see the budget before taking a stance on it.

Mr. Mulcair was hopeful Mr. Ignatieff would continue to team up with the NDP. "It takes the three opposition parties to form a government," he said.

The NDP say Canada ought to do what several international organizations, including the G20, had recommended when it comes to a stimulus package, namely bring in stimulus packages worth 2% of a country's GDP. In Canada's case, that would mean a stimulus package of about $32-billion.

Before Christmas, Mr. Harper said the stimulus package in the Jan. 27 budget would be $20-billion to $30-billion, but for the prime minister and the Conservatives, that stimulus package could be a combination of new spending and tax cuts.

The NDP says tax cuts so far haven't helped and they won't help now. The NDP wants at least $30-billion in new spending programs.

"Tax cuts are great if you still have your job, but if you're one of the 400,000 people in manufacturing who have lost your job, tax cuts aren't going to help very much," Mr. Mulcair said.

Mr. Mulcair also warned the federal government that it must not ignore environmental protection laws in a rush to get new infrastructure projects.

In a newspaper interview published Tuesday, Transport and Infrastructure Minister John Baird suggested there may be ways to harmonize or streamline federal environmental protection legislation when it duplicates or runs in parallel with provincial environmental protection legislation.

Mr. Mulcair said the NDP favours a significant spending program for "shovel-ready" infrastructure projects but, said the Conservatives should not use tough economic times "to shovel aside environment rules."

With files from Reuters