Nova Scotia’s energy minister has offered an emotional apology after misogynistic rap lyrics he wrote before his time in politics prompted a women’s organization to call for his resignation.
Marco MacLeod’s voice shook at times as he told reporters after a Thursday cabinet meeting in Halifax that he knows he needs to demonstrate his sincerity through his actions. He said that includes a commitment to learning and reflection as well as making sure vulnerable people feel welcome when dealing with his office.
“I’m so sorry to everyone who’s been hurt…Now the work’s on me and an apology is only so good. I (have) to show it through my actions, especially at home in my constituency, but also here in Halifax and wherever I go,” MacLeod said.
Last week a track performed by MacLeod more than a decade ago called “George Jones” and released under the artist name Meadowville gained widespread attention. The song, first reported by Frank Magazine and since taken down from music platforms, contains misogynistic terms for women and references to cocaine use.
MacLeod, 37, said the recording was posted online 13 years ago and never generated any money. He did not directly answer when asked if he posted the song to platforms again in 2023, the year before he was elected in a byelection. The Progressive Conservative caucus office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.
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The minister said he did not disclose the recording’s existence to party officials when he first ran for office.
Halifax’s Adsum House, a shelter for women, gender-diverse people and families, has called for MacLeod’s resignation. It said the lyrics were demeaning, misogynistic and violent, noting the government has declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in Nova Scotia.
The government did so on a recommendation from the inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting that saw 22 people killed in Nova Scotia. The rampage began with the assault of the gunman’s common-law spouse, who survived the attack.
In 2024, former Progressive Conservative justice minister Brad Johns resigned after he disputed the inquiry’s finding and said drugs and gun violence were more serious problems than intimate partner violence.
MacLeod says he plans to remain as minister and representative for Pictou West. He said he has not reached out to the Adsum House, but he’s read the group’s statements several times to understand its perspective.
“I know that the words that I used, they’re really disrespectful to women and goes against the work that groups like Adsum do,” he said.
MacLeod said he’s been getting phone calls and doing a lot of reading, including some “raw stuff” people have sent to him, such as emails and direct messages.
Leah Martin, the minister for the advisory council on the status of women, said she’s had a great experience working with MacLeod. She said he has accepted responsibility and has expressed a commitment to learning and improving.
“Any time language is used that’s misogynistic, demeaning, or harmful, it’s unacceptable,” she said. “When I heard it of course, I, like many I’m sure, (thought) it was really, really, really dumb, really stupid.”
Susan Leblanc, NDP critic for the status of women, said the recording is part of a pattern with Premier Tim Houston’s government.
“(We had) a former justice minister who didn’t think that intimate partner violence was an epidemic in this province. We have seen cuts to domestic violence courts, and we’ve seen a consistent underfunding for many years of women’s centres and organizations that help women, largely women, who are facing domestic violence and intimate partner violence,” she told reporters.
Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said he’s disappointed MacLeod has not reached out to Adsum house or other groups.
“He sounds sincere that he wants to do the work and learn. So we’ve yet to see that. So that’s what I’d like to see next for the minister,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press