OTTAWA - Stephen Harper's minority government has survived its first confidence test of the fall parliamentary session.

As expected, a Conservative ways-and-means budget motion in the House of Commons passed easily Friday by a vote of 224-74, with the support of the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois.

The Liberals, who have propped up the government on 79 consecutive confidence votes until now, voted against.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced two weeks ago that he would try to defeat the government at the earliest opportunity.

The motion paves the way for implementation of a host of measures from last January's budget, including the popular home renovation tax credit.

The government's next survival test is likely to come during the first week of October, when Ignatieff intends to propose a motion of non-confidence.

NDP Leader Jack Layton has said his party will continue to prop up the government until legislation extending EI benefits for long-term workers is passed.

The Liberals are trying to rush passage of that legislation, hoping to rob the NDP of its rationale for propping up the government.

But there is no agreement among the parties to expedite the bill -- worth up to $1 billion in extended employment insurance benefits for about 190,000 long-term workers.

Sources said the Bloc Quebecois balked at a Conservative proposal to wrap up preliminary debate on the bill Friday, allowing it to be examined by a Commons committee next week, even though the House will not be sitting.

However, Government House Leader Jay Hill said he remains hopeful that something may yet be worked out.

The behind-the-scenes manoeuvring was prompted by a Liberal proposal to whisk the bill through all stages of the legislative process in the Commons on Friday.

At the same time, Liberals in the Senate tabled a motion seeking to allow the upper house to begin its examination of the bill without waiting for the Commons to finish with it.

The twin ploys were intended to ensure the bill wins the approval of both houses of Parliament before the first week of October. That's when the Liberals intend to introduce a motion of non-confidence in the government.

Most bills take months to wend their way through the legislative process in both houses of Parliament.

Although Liberals believe the EI bill "falls radically short of serious employment insurance reform," Ignatieff said they want to expedite its passage.

Some critics, including labour unions usually allied with the NDP, have complained that only a tiny fraction of long-term workers will actually be eligible for extended benefits.

Layton has hinted that the government will have to come up with other inducements if it wants continuing NDP support on confidence matters once the EI bill is passed.

Pension protection and consumer protection against bank fees are among the other priorities Layton has cited.