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For the uninitiated, those leaders are the Liberal’s Mark Carney, the Conservative’s Pierre Poilievre and the NDP鈥檚 Jagmeet Singh. As we said at the outset, which seems so long ago, “Just the facts, men.” And yet in rallies and responses to questions from journalists, some gave a whole lot more.

So did the campaign workers tasked with responding to the Star鈥檚 emails when their leaders strayed beyond the confines of factuality or purposely engaged in verbal theatrics.

In some cases, the off-record backspin was unparalleled, akin to telling a journalist the Earth actually is flat 鈥� and that any “false” or “stretch” designation that states otherwise mischaracterizes a leader鈥檚 (inaccurately) spoken words and wrongly blemishes their honour. No, but thank you for the creative effort.

Enough of the backroom talk 鈥� let鈥檚 return to the candidates.

It may seem obvious now, but each weeklong period devoted to the words of one leader led to fact checks that seemingly reflected that individual鈥檚 personality.

Take Pierre Poilievre聽(April 6 to 12).

Respectfully removing the gender bias of certain words, Poilievre clearly plays the role of campaign 2025 drama queen.

This made for a lively week but聽it appears as if Poilievre is ruled by two conflicting urges:

One is to be a persistent purveyor of hard facts. The other can鈥檛 help but wrap those facts in opinions that can easily lead some into the belief that Canada was destroyed by 鈥渕ass murderers鈥� and government-funded opioids during 鈥淭HE LOST LIBERAL DECADE!鈥�

The point is that instead of believing every assertion a politician makes, Canadians can access a research machine called Google and use it to seek at least some data or evidence-based research to better understand the nuances behind what they are being told. Otherwise, politicians will happily engage the primal part of our brains that activates fear, emotion and (voting) motivation.

Poilievre is not wrong when he notes Canada鈥檚 economic struggle. For anyone listening, his words offer a launching point on why, for so many, financial ennui persists. As RBC Economics said last year, 鈥淐anada has a growth problem.鈥�

The economy, the RBC report said, is basically unchanged from a decade ago, a point that seemingly supports Poilievre鈥檚 slogan on the 鈥淟OST LIBERAL DECADE!鈥� However, the same report also notes that, measured globally, Canada鈥檚 growth has 鈥渇allen behind most major economies since 2000.鈥� The Conservatives ran Canada from 2006 to 2015. Ah, context, it鈥檚 a slogan killer.

But on the campaign trail, it鈥檚 all about the power of words, stated or omitted. And after delving into his statements, it鈥檚 clear that Poilievre has a talent for both in his war against the Liberals.

Which brings us to the Mark Carney聽(April 13 to 19).

Returning to my working theory that these fact checks shed light on political leaders as individuals, it is instructive to see how Carney tries to connect with Canadians.

Do voters want a prime minister who can lead the country through rough economic times? Or, someone who can pour a beer with the perfect head? Probably both.

Still, it鈥檚 fair to say that campaign stump speeches do not allow for a dissemination of knowledge based on a doctorate in economics from Oxford University, 13 years at Goldman Sachs investment banking in London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto, and gigs as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.

Given the threats from the United States, the so-called economic warfare apparently meant to turn Canada into America鈥檚 51st state, Carney may have somewhat more complex thoughts that don鈥檛 translate during pit stop rallies of cheering supporters.

So, it was instructive that on a recent episode of the podcast “Pivot,” co-host Scott Galloway announced that he was about to interview Carney on his other podcast.

鈥淲hat? What!鈥� said co-host Kara Swisher, an American journalist known聽for her acerbic take on billionaire tech dudes.

鈥淵eah, he reached out,鈥� said Galloway, an NYU professor whose podcast “The Prof G Pod”聽appeals to a young male audience, according to the New York Times. (Carney鈥檚 campaign spokesperson said the 鈥淟iberal team鈥� connected.)

The interview featured a thoughtful and complex discussion that in many ways better exposed voters to a new Liberal leader who was a bit of a mystery at the campaign鈥檚 start, other than touting his hockey bona fides. After all, sound bites are not conducive to the intricate measures needed to lead Canada through a global trade war launched by its frenemy in Washington.

Carney has given himself a few glib moments, too. 鈥淭hese numbers are a joke!鈥� he announced rather gleefully last week, after the Conservatives released their 鈥渃osted鈥� platform.

After listening to Carney鈥檚 long-form podcast interview, those basic, insulting words do not seem befitting of his persona, but maybe politics necessitates a touch of personality populism in an international uber-banker with a boardroom poker face.

Clearly, he is not prone to hyperbole, which made for a 鈥� mostly 鈥� straight up week of confirmations. Canada is the largest supplier of aluminum to the United States. Check. Or, Canada is one of the world鈥檚 largest suppliers of critical minerals. Just the facts, man.

For a different kind of calm, let鈥檚 shift to Jagmeet Singh聽(March 30 to April 5).

During our week listening to Singh, he met with supporters across Canada, talking about protections for workers, renters and public health care. These are important issues to many Canadians and Singh often spoke with his hand over his heart, an apparent display of earnestness that, in these uncertain times, seemed oddly comforting. Except his poll numbers kept crashing.

It is probably fair to say that Singh will enter his dotage still claiming that the NDP forced Canada’s pharmacare and dental care programs onto the Trudeau government. And while he is not wrong, his endless reminders felt a bit sad, as if he kept raising his hand to be noticed when everyone else had moved on.聽

Polling shows this is a two-party race, one the NDP is watching from the sidelines.聽

After three weeks of listening to political leaders on issues that resonate with Canadians 鈥� unaffordable housing, privatized health care and crime, not to mention the global economic and security threats facing Canada 鈥� it will all be decided on Monday when voters choose their next government and in doing so, the character of Canada’s new prime minister.聽

Unless, however unlikely,聽tightening polls聽lead to another minority government that requires co-operation among political parties to stay afloat. To state the facts, the odds of that happening is anyone’s guess.聽