Leaders prepare in private before crucial debate

The gloves have come off in Calgaryliterallyas the three leaders prepare for their debate on the economytomorrow.

Liberal Leader JustinTrudeau, known for his 2012 boxing match upset victory over then-Conservative Senator PatrickBrazeau, will spend partofthe day sparring to try to get in the right frame of mind for his verbal bout withBrazeau'sformer boss, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, and NDP Leader TomMulcair.

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But sinceTrudeaudidn't pack his boxing gloves for the campaign tour, he willinstead use what boxers call hand wraps.

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"Energy in, energy out," is how one staffer described Trudeau's use of physical exercise to focusthemind.Trudeaualso runs, but boxing training is his preferred form of exercise.

Like all the campaign teams, the Liberals are anxious that their rivals willlearn details of how their leader prepares, what fileshe studiesand who is helping him.

The Liberals won't say whether they are using roleplayers to stand infor the other leaders, although that is common practice.

They are at pains to stress, not surprisingly, thattheirleader is calm and looking forward to the chance to state his economic case.

Mulcair on theeconomy

Mulcairhas no such quirky routines.

True to his disciplined and methodical style, he will prep in his room atCalgary's Fairmont PalliserHotelby going over the issues again and again with his closest advisers.

That means role-playing each potential scenario on camera, and then reviewing the tape and dissecting his performance alongside hischief of staff Alain Gaul and his principal secretary Karl Blanger.

Gaul was withMulcairduring his days in provincial politicsand returned aschief of staff in January. He is thequietest and most retiring member of the campaign tour, but his return to theMulcairfold coincided with the party'ssurge in the polls.

One sign of the secrecy surrounding this debate prep is that for the first time in his national tour,Mulcairis staying at a different hotel from the campaign's media entourage, in what seems to be an effort to avoid their prying eyes.

CBC News has learned that the party has flown in native English-speaking members of their team, who are not members of caucus, to stand in for Harper andTrudeau.

Senior campaign adviser Brad Lavigne, who has not been travelling with the leader, arrived in Calgaryon Tuesdayafternoon.

Lavigne was widely credited with engineering Jack Layton's strong campaign in 2011 and also returned to the party this year after a hiatus at public relationsfirm Hill & Knowlton.

UnlikeTrudeau, who plans a photo opon Thursday,Mulcairplans to use the whole day to prepare for the debate.

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The New Democrats know that much of the focus in the debate will be on their promises, and how they are going to pay for them.

Leading in the polls, they have to convince Canadians thattheir pledge to balance the books while spending billions on new or expanded programs is not a fantasy.

Expect Mulcairto repeat again and again that the NDP is the only party to produce afullycostedbudget plan before this debate.

The NDP also knows it must assuage concerns within its own base that Mulcair'szero-deficit approach will constrain the party's ability to advance a progressive agenda.

The party is extremely sensitive to any suggestion thatMulcair'splatform is less progressive thenthe Liberal plan.

In recent days, he has been emphasizing the point that progressive policies based on debt are not sustainable.

If there is one phrase thatMulcaircan be counted on to repeat in this debate, it is "long-term."

Harper clears his schedule

Harper had no planned campaignevents on Wednesday orThursday, committing his time to debate prep.

Instead, the Conservative campaign sent out Defence Minister Jason Kenney Wednesday toslagthe NDP's fiscal platform and warn that the party's plan to raise the corporate tax rate to 17 per cent from 15 per centwould result in the loss of some 150,000 jobs.

The campaign offered no comment on how Harper was preparing for the debate.