It is a four and a half hour plane ride from Vancouver to Ottawa and for party leaders, this is a good time to get some work done.

Stephane Dion is a studious type at the best of times and he knows that this election campaign is his best and perhaps last shot at convincing Canadians that he should be prime minister. So he works constantly.

Tonight a curious reporter snuck a peak at Dion at work in the front cabin of his plane and could just glimpse a fat briefing binder on his lap.

Hmmm. What could it be. He knows his policy inside out. Debate preps perhaps?

Moments later, Dion came to the partition in the plane that divides the media from the leader and his entourage. We were flying over Alberta and he wanted to point out a field of windmills directly below. Alternative energy sources and all.

He had his big binder in his hand.

Quietly, one of his handlers took the binder out of the leader's hands and away from the eyes of reporters.

He took it back to Dion's seat where Dion picked it up again mere moments later.

—Susan Bonner