Quiet campaign day expected

It promises to be a quiet day in the federal election campaign as the main party leaders hunker down to prepare for their first debate tomorrow night in Toronto.

None of the leaders are expected to hold public events today ahead of the debate hosted by Maclean’s magazine.

Besides some political mudslinging and the Conservatives announcing yesterday that they’d bring back the home renovation tax credit, a lot of the talk revolved around what they call each other.

Stephen Harper told reporters he’s been referring to Justin Trudeau by first name only because that’s how the Liberal party has branded him — including his website, justin.ca.

But Trudeau shrugged off the name game as a sideshow to distract from the Conservatives’ economic record.

Meantime, the NDP leader said that among family and friends, he’s always been “Tommy” Mulcair — but he didn’t want people to think he compares himself to New Democrat hero Tommy Douglas.