TORONTO: Canada’s Conservative prime minister acknowledged Thursday that things aren’t great in the Canadian economy, but in a debate ahead of next month’s election he asked Canadians where they would rather live.

Polls and analysts say the Oct. 19 vote is the first three-way toss-up in Canada’s history.

In a debate focused on the economy, Stephen Harper said Canada has fared better than other countries amid global insecurity. “I have come to work now for 7 years with nothing but economic crises around the world,” Harper said.

“I’ve never said things were great,” he said. “I’ve said we’re living in a very challenging environment. ... Where would you rather live?“

Canada, the world’s 11th-biggest economy and the United States’ biggest trading partner, suffered far less damage from the financial crisis and Great Recession than its southern neighbor, but fell into a recession in the first six months of the year after a sharp reduction in the price of oil. Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world.

Opposition New Democrat leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau attacked Harper for relying too much on the oil industry to bolster the economy.

Trudeau, the 43-year-old son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, asked Canadians if they were better off than when Harper took power in 2006 and passionately shouted down Harper and Mulcair, whose New Democrat party could form a government for the first time in the country’s history.