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Last week, Justin Trudeau announced a three-year plan to pump $900-million dollars into a ‘new innovation agenda.’Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press

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Campaign Notebook by John Ibbitson (@JohnIbbitson)

Voters of a certain age will remember the epic election of 1988, fought over whether to ratify the free-trade agreement between Canada and the United States. We could see a compressed version of that contest in the final two weeks of this election.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will trumpet the announcement of a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement involving Canada and 11 other Pacific nations, as well he should: the TPP is the largest regional trade agreement in history, representing 40 per cent of the planet's gross domestic product. Because the United States and Mexico are also part of the deal, the TPP will renew and replace the existing North American Free Trade Agreement.

For the first time, Canadian firms will have open access to Japan, the world's third largest economy, as well as dynamic emerging economies such as Vietnam and Malaysia. What's not to love?

Plenty, if you're a dairy farmer who will face foreign competition for the first time, or an auto-sector worker at risk of having your job outsourced to a TPP country with lower wages.  NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair is already solidly opposed to the agreement, though Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is inclined to support it.

So the economy is back on the table, big time, another major policy issue in a campaign surprisingly rich in them, from proposed Liberal deficits to Tory concerns about the niqab. Let the final fortnight begin.

DAILY TRACKING FROM NANOS RESEARCH

Nik Nanos: "Liberals emerging with lead in national election race, Conservatives steady, NDP slide for 10th night of tracking in succession."

Conservatives: 31 per cent (down 2.0 from last week)

NDP: 22.8 per cent (down 4.1 from last week)

Liberals: 35.6 per cent (up 4.0from last week)

Green: 4.7 per cent (down 1.1 from last week)

Bloc: 4.8 per cent (up 0.6 from last week)

The margin of error is 2.8 points. Click here for Nanos methodology.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS MORNING

By Chris Hannay (@channay)

> The Trans Pacific Partnership seems to be within reach, though there appear to be left some Is to dot and Ts to cross. Update: A deal has been reached.

> British Columbia will be one of the defining battlegrounds in this election, with the Liberals and NDP expected to make gains on Canada's left coast.

> Justin Trudeau has the advantage in recent polls as the leader who best represents change.

> Thomas Mulcair pitched himself to a million Quebeckers.

> Of all people, Sarah Silverman has endorsed a candidate in B.C.

WHERE THE LEADERS ARE

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has a morning announcement in Ottawa at 9:30 a.m. ET to comment on the TPP. For the rest of the day he, along with other leaders, is in the Greater Toronto Area today. He has an afternoon event in Richmond Hill.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair will make a lunchtime announcement in Toronto.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is in southwestern Ontario and the GTA today, starting with a morning event in Waterloo, then hitting Oakville and Etobicoke before doing a town hall in downtown Toronto with VICE in the evening.

Globe journalists hop on the buses this week. Follow Daniel Leblanc, Gloria Galloway and Steven Chase on Twitter.

WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT

"The so-called 905 is where the Orange Wave crested, the place where Thomas Mulcair's NDP needed to make inroads if it wanted to keep climbing into a clear lead, but didn't. It's where Justin Trudeau's Liberals have rebounded. And it's where Stephen Harper's Conservatives have proved resilient."

- Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail)

"As the NDP's apparent slide in popular support has emerged as one of the federal election campaign's dominant narratives, some equally disturbing numbers for Thomas Mulcair's party have received less notice."

- Adam Radwanski (The Globe and Mail)

"Quite likely, without being aware of the fact, Canadians might be seeing their last majority government. Not for the next four years, but forever."

- Jeffrey Simpson (The Globe and Mail)

LOOKAHEAD: WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK

Expect campaign events to hit the high gear in the remaining two weeks (has it gone by so fast?). Thanksgiving, of course, is this weekend.

The election is in 14 days.

This newsletter is produced by Chris Hannay and Steve Proceviat.

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