HALIFAX — The premier of Nova Scotia says a tragedy led his energy minister to resign over rap lyrics this week. Tim Houston made the comments 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 says MacLeod resigned Wednesday night after weeks of meetings with women’s advocacy groups in an effort to take accountability for his actions. The premier says 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 says 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. Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.
