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What happened Wednesday on the campaign trail: budgets, refugees, Calgary

OTTAWA — A look at key developments Wednesday, Sept. 16, on the campaign trail: The NDP believes it would be able to run a $4.1-billion surplus in the next fiscal year should it form the next federal government.
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Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, left, talks with mothers and their children after speaking during a campaign stop in Saskatoon, Sask, on Wednesday, October 7, 2015.

OTTAWA — A look at key developments Wednesday, Sept. 16, on the campaign trail:

The NDP believes it would be able to run a $4.1-billion surplus in the next fiscal year should it form the next federal government. The party provided a high-level overview of its spending and revenue projections Thursday, saying it would be able to run not just one, but four years of budget surpluses — while paying for billions in campaign promises by increasing corporate tax rates. The NDP plan includes a jump in corporate taxes to 17 per cent from 15 per cent next fiscal year, the same year the party wants to eliminate income splitting and the doubling of the contribution limit to tax-free savings accounts to raise almost $7.2 billion in new revenue.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper held no public events as he prepared for Thursday’s leaders’ debate on the economy. Jason Kenney stepped in, offering a spirited defence of the government’s response to the refugee crisis amid calls that it needs to act faster and accept more people. He said the federal government will soon release details on how it plans to accelerate the intake of 20,000 Iraqi and Syrian refugees but warned there are security matters that take precedence.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau promised to beef up flood infrastructure in Calgary. Trudeau said his party would provide an unspecified amount of funding to prevent flooding and spend $1.5 billion on public transit in the city. Trudeau pointed to the provincial NDP majority victory earlier this year as evidence that Albertans are fed up with the status quo federally. Liberals are quietly optimistic about two Calgary ridings — Calgary Centre, where the party came close to winning a 2012 byelection, and Calgary Confederation, a newly created riding with no incumbent.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he has felt a little lonely in past federal elections. But Nenshi was in high demand Wednesday as he met with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, one after the other. The leaders were in Calgary ahead of Thursday’s debate on the economy. Nenshi says he’s not endorsing any party, but had harsh words nonetheless for the Conservative government on its continued lack of action on Syrian refugees.