N.S. premier says ‘tragedy’ led his energy minister to resign over rap lyrics

HALIFAX – The premier of Nova Scotia says a tragedy led his energy minister to resign over rap lyrics this week.

Tim Houston made the comment on Thursday, less than 15 hours after his office announced it had accepted Marco MacLeod’s resignation over lyrics first published in 2013. The lyrics included misogynistic terms for women and references to cocaine use, and the song has since been removed from music platforms.

Houston’s office said MacLeod resigned Wednesday night after weeks of meetings with women’s advocacy groups in an effort to take accountability for his actions. 

“He acknowledged what he did was wrong, he apologized for it,” Houston said Thursday.

The premier said he did not ask for MacLeod’s resignation, but the former energy minister felt his mistake was causing a distraction from the work of government.

Houston said he expects MacLeod’s lyrics will be brought up when the legislature resumes next week, and he won’t participate in the “pile-on.”

“People will look to make political gains off of one person’s mistake and tragedy. I’m not on that page,” he told reporters in Halifax after a cabinet meeting Thursday.

When asked why he described the situation as a “tragedy,” Houston said MacLeod feels “incredible remorse” and he was taking steps to make amends.

Last month, Halifax-based shelter Adsum for Women and Children said on social media that it was “sickened” by MacLeod’s “violent and misogynistic” music.

In a statement Wednesday, MacLeod said he was sorry and that he appreciated “the learning that has come from this experience.”

The former minister thanked the groups and individuals who spoke with him.

NDP leader Claudia Chender said Houston’s response since MacLeod’s lyrics came to light has been “terrible.” She likened the situation to that of former justice minister Brad Johns.

In 2024, Johns disputed a public inquiry’s finding that domestic violence is an epidemic and said drugs and gun violence are more serious problems.
He made the comment on the anniversary of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, which led to an inquiry that recommended treating domestic violence as an epidemic.

He resigned the following evening.

“This is the second minister to leave cabinet over this same kind of issue,” Chender said.

When asked if the two resignations point to a problem within his party, Houston brought up Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and former Nova Scotia premier Iain Rankin. 

“Did you ever see Wab Kinew’s rap songs? Is there a problem with the NDP?” Houston said, referring to Kinew’s political party.

Kinew has faced public scrutiny over homophobic and misogynistic rap lyrics and social media posts which came to light about a decade ago. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Houston noted that former Nova Scotia premier Iain Rankin was convicted of impaired driving in 2003 when he was 20 years old.

“I mean, people are human, right? Even politicians are human,” Houston said, adding that both Kinew and Rankin have served their constituents well.

Houston did not rule out the possibility of MacLeod returning to cabinet at some point, saying he did not want to try to predict the future.

Adsum said it appreciated MacLeod’s efforts to learn more about gender-based violence. In a statement Thursday, the group invited other elected officials to do the same.

“This is not about resignations or provincial energy ambitions, it is about awareness and action on violence,” the statement said.

In September 2024, the provincial government declared that intimate partner violence is an epidemic. Adsum said it is “waiting, still, to see a commitment of epidemic-level funding” to the cause.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.