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Mulcair told reporters “I don’t think we have enough evidence to use that word.”

“When you look at the history of the individual involved, you see a criminal act, of course,” he added.

“But … I think that we’re not in the presence of a terrorist act in the sense that we would understand it.”

In the Commons, Mulcair asked Harper if he understands “the fundamental difference between the horrific acts of a profoundly disturbed individual and organized terror.” He said the opposition parties should be invited to help prepare the “best legislative reaction to these horrific events.”

The prime minister said there is no “contradiction” to people having financial or mental “difficulties” and also being engaged in “terrorist Jihadist activities.”

“We do not think it helps Canadians to do anything but address these matters head-on, face them for what they are,” said Harper.

The leaders’ statements came exactly one week after Cpl. Nathan Cirillo died at the hands of gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau at the National War Memorial. Zehaf-Bibeau then rushed into the Centre Block, where he was killed by security.

Two days earlier, another soldier was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Quebec.

The Conservative government says it will introduce new legislation to give security officials and police enhanced powers to detain people believed to be potential terrorists.

It is considering how to deal with people who condone terrorist attacks on the web, and how low the threshold should be for when security officials and police have “reasonable grounds” to act on suspicions someone might commit a terrorist act.