Lisa MacLeod: Mark Carney’s flippant remarks on ‘genocide’

Liberal Leader Mark Carney may be auditioning to lead Canada, but his recent comments show he still has much to learn about the people he hopes to represent in Nepean, Ont. — especially in neighbourhoods like Craig Henry and West Barrhaven, where lived experiences speak louder than talking points.

Last week, Carney was asked to clarify his remarks after he appeared to agree with a protester who invoked the word “genocide” in reference to Gaza. Carney responded flatly: “I didn’t hear that word.” It was a carefully evasive answer from a man who has built a career on cautious precision. But the problem isn’t just what he said — it’s what he doesn’t seem to understand.

If Carney knew where Craig Henry or West Barrhaven were, I would invite him to come and speak to the congregants who attend synagogues here. I would ask him to meet the Nepean family of Adi Vital-Kaploun — a young Canadian woman who was murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. Perhaps then he’d understand why so many Canadians feel abandoned by leaders who minimize or sidestep the realities of modern antisemitism and terrorism.

The Vital family’s loss is not abstract. It’s not a geopolitical talking point. It is the profound grief of a family that lives in my community and is grappling with the fact that their daughter was murdered, simply for being Jewish. That pain deepens when would-be national leaders equivocate, dodge or fail to recognize the gravity of terrorist atrocities that target civilians and tear families apart.

This is not about denying the suffering of civilians in Gaza. Any child lost to violence — anywhere — is a tragedy. But moral clarity demands that we reject false equivalencies. Hamas is a listed terrorist organization in Canada. It perpetrated a massacre that should outrage every decent Canadian. That outrage must not be drowned out by slogans that erase the nuance and trauma of the victims.

Carney’s polished public image, international experience and high-minded rhetoric won’t mean much if he can’t speak with conviction about the threats faced by people in his own backyard. Nepean isn’t a footnote. It’s a community of many faiths, of families, of immigrants and of survivors. Leaders don’t get to lead us unless they know us.

If Mark Carney wants to represent Canadians, he should start by listening to the voices in places like Nepean — not just the ones that echo his worldview, but the ones that carry grief, fear and resilience. That includes the Jewish community and the family of Adi Vitall-Kaploun.

If he can’t say the word “terrorism,” if he denies hearing the word “genocide” when he responded to it and if he doesn’t know where Craig Henry is, he’s not ready to lead in Nepean, let alone Canada.

Lisa MacLeod is a former Ontario cabinet minister who represented the riding of Nepean.