All eyes were on the economy during the fourth week of the federal election campaign, which started with a 420-point drop on the S&P/TSX and ended with the announcement of a $5-billion surplus.
Here are the highlights:
MONDAY
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair started the week by promising to spend more money on two big potential voting blocks.
Mulcair $400 million to raise the guaranteed income supplement for low-income seniors.
Trudeau said he would re-establish lifelong pensions for veterans, increase other benefits and re-open shuttered veterans affairs offices -- a promise that could help him in at least
TUESDAY
Just as the Sen. Mike Duffy trial was adjourned until November, a new poll suggested the trial how the majority of Canadians view the Conservatives.
Still, Nanos weekly Stephen Harperâs party is still in contention, with 30-per-cent support, about the same as the Liberals, and a point higher than the NDP.
Meanwhile, Mulcair said he would balance the budget.
That led Trudeau to frame the election as a choice âbetween jobs and growth or austerity and cuts,â as he campaigned alongside former finance minister and prime minister .
Harper, who has promised balanced budgets, said prime ministers should âhave a long-term plan and
Economist Philip Cross, meanwhile, told CTV Power Play that prime ministers donât have that much impact on GDP figures.
âIf the global economy tanks and pulls us down with it, revenue falls so fast you canât possibly cut spending fast enough," he said. "You will run a significant deficit no matter what your intentions.â
WEDNESDAY
A suggested most Canadians -- 79 per cent -- agree the country feels like itâs in recession.
The same poll indicated 51 per cent think a victory by Harperâs Conservatives would be bad for the economy, compared to 37 per cent who said an NDP win would hurt the economy, and 34 per cent who believe a Liberal win would be bad for the national books.
The poll also found a majority -- 54 per cent -- support âa new round of deficit spending by the Government of Canada to stimulate the economy,â while 36 per cent were opposed/somewhat opposed.
That appeared to be good news for Trudeau, who whether the Liberals would run a deficit, adding âthe economy needs investment.â
Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May predicted Canada would end the year in deficit, âthatâs not necessarily such a terrible thing in a $2-trillion economy.â
May said she would counteract a revenue drop by raising the corporate tax rate to 19 per cent.
And Harper made his big spending promise for the week on Wednesday: $200 million to in rural areas.
THURSDAY
Trudeau confirmed he would run deficits for at least three years in order to spend $125 billion over 10 years projects such as transit, housing and adapting to climate change.
Harper -- who ran seven deficits before balancing the budget this year -- poked fun at Trudeau, saying: âHe'll run, he says, a modest deficit, a tiny deficit, so small you can hardly see the deficit.â
Mulcair responded to Trudeauâs plan by saying he was âtired of watching governments put that debt on the backs of future generations.â
FRIDAY
The Department of Finance for the second quarter, which Harper said meant his government âis well ahead of our projections.â
Paul Martin retorted that Harper is "the king of deficitsâ and said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is âa student of Stephen Harper's economy."
Mulcair shot back at Martin, calling him "the king of austerityâ and pointing out he achieved balance only after cutting health and social transfers, employment insurance and housing spending.
One place Mulcair said he would save money: to help professional sports teams return to Quebec.