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Thursday on the campaign trail: Leaders keep low profile ahead of debate

OTTAWA — A look at key developments Thursday on the campaign trail as the three main party leaders largely kept a low profile ahead of their debate on the economy in Calgary: The New Democrats kicked off the day in Ottawa announcing they had calculat

OTTAWA — A look at key developments Thursday on the campaign trail as the three main party leaders largely kept a low profile ahead of their debate on the economy in Calgary:

The New Democrats kicked off the day in Ottawa announcing they had calculated the costs of Liberal promises. Andrew Thomson, the NDP star candidate running in the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, charged that Justin Trudeau has already “maxed out his $10-billion credit card” 45 days into the campaign — a reference to the Liberal plan to run $10-billion annual deficits until 2019.

Not to be outdone, the Conservatives held a news conference of their own to say they have concluded that a Trudeau-led government would result in a $24.7-billion shortfall in the first year. Tory Jason Kenney said that would be followed by a gap of $34.5 billion when Liberal promises are fully implemented. Speaking in Toronto, the defence minister was also asked why his party dispatched him — and not Finance Minister Joe Oliver — to discuss campaign financing and the economy. Kenney said he is the party’s national spokesman and Oliver is working hard in his riding to get out the Conservative vote.

Trudeau tried to stay above the partisan fray, going for a solo canoe paddle at dawn on a stretch of the Bow River in Calgary. “Perfect day,” he said to a small pool of photographers and TV cameras as the current took him toward the sunrise.