By Julie Gordon
CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Battered but unbowed,
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has momentum and the
economy on his side as he heads into the second leaders' debate
later on Thursday, hoping a home-turf advantage will help him
break away from centre-left opponents.
The debate offers a pivot point for Harper, 56, as he
recovers his footing following a string of scandals and bad news
in the first half of the campaign for the Oct. 19 federal
election.
Harper trumpeted an early federal budget surplus this week,
saying his Conservative party was best poised to manage the
economy.
And his offer of limited help to Syrian refugees has found
support among the party's base, even as his opponents say Canada
should be more generous.
Monday's surplus news brightened the mood on the campaign
trail, with staffers joking that opponents would be scrambling
to come up with any viable economic argument to throw at Harper.
Polls show a tight three-way race ahead of vote, with a
minority government likely.
The debate, which focuses on the economy, will take place in
Calgary, Harper's adopted hometown, where he maintains a solid
base albeit a disgruntled one in the wake of a prolonged slump
in oil prices.
Harper, seeking a rare fourth term and battling voter desire
for change, will face New Democratic Party leader Thomas
Mulcair, 60 and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, 43. Green Party
leader Elizabeth May, left off the roster, said she would "join"
in a post on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR).
Criticized in the past for seeming aloof, Harper donned a
casual Team Canada jacket at events this week, opening rallies
with off-the-cuff jokes and appearing relaxed.
After a series of campaign missteps, he has double downed on
fiscal management with a new 'Protect the Economy' slogan and a
series of ads in which he discusses taxes at the dinner table
with Canadians.
"The world is an unstable and dangerous place. The global
economy is weak and in turmoil," Harper told a huge crowd in
Calgary. "If we get our economy wrong, no matter what the
Liberals and NDP say, we cannot borrow and tax our way back to
prosperity."
The Liberals' Trudeau, who performed well in the first
debate in August, will be looking to shore up support with
another strong showing, while NDP's Mulcair, known in Ottawa as
a passionate orator, is expected to come out swinging after a
tepid performance.
Among Harper's supporters, the decision is clear.
"Harper's an economist, Trudeau's a social worker and
Mulcair's a lawyer. Who are you going to trust with the
economy?" said Allan Lees, a small business owner in a Vancouver
suburb, who plans to vote Conservative.
The debate kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET (0000 GMT) and is
hosted by the Globe and Mail newspaper.
($1 = 1.3245 Canadian dollars)
(Editing by)