Hunter Tootoo discussed his addiction treatment and his next steps upon returning to work as Nunavut’s MP Monday in Iqaluit but was much less specific when asked about his future with the federal Liberal party.
Advertisement
Personal: Tootoo is related to National Hockey League player Jordin Tootoo, who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks this month.
In a statement Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office refused to say if it was aware of the allegations when Tootoo resigned at the end of May, repeating its best wishes for Tootoo and that he won’t be rejoining the Liberal caucus any time soon.
In an interview later with The Canadian Press, he acknowledged “all kinds of rumours” about the circumstances of his departure but he declined to elaborate further. “I know what I’m dealing with … I needed to seek help and that’s exactly what I did”.
During Wednesday’s news conference, Tootoo attributed his drinking to “deeply personal and private issues”, saying he used alcohol as a coping mechanism. “Those words of encouragement made all the difference in my recovery”, he said, according to a prepared text of his remarks.
“I am extremely grateful for the patience you have granted me during my healing”, he said. “And I just saw myself going down a road I didn’t want to go on, and I knew I needed to be healthy again, and that’s why I chose to seek help and go to treatment”. “I can’t speak for the Prime Minister, like I said, I have the utmost respect for the man, I believe in his government, and I continue to look forward to doing my job as an MP for Nunavut”. “That work begins now”.
Hunter Tootoo, Nunavut MP and former fisheries minister, evaded questions this morning about allegations published today in The Globe and Mail.
The Prime Minister’s Office refused to comment earlier this week on Tootoo’s imminent return to politics. “His status with regard to the Liberal caucus remains unchanged”, Cameron Ahmad, a press secretary for Trudeau, said in an email Wednesday.
Government House leader Dominic LeBlanc, who assumed Tootoo’s responsibilities on the fisheries file, has since juggled both roles, prompting speculation about the need for cabinet changes due to the size of the portfolios.
It would be a tremendous loss to the territory if Tootoo is not welcomed back by the government, said Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern.
Redfern said she is hearing “more and more calls” for Tootoo to resign his seat. As an Independent, he would not have access to a party network and the research support it affords, she noted.
Redfern admitted she is struggling to understand why it was necessary for Tootoo to resign from caucus.
When asked why he left the Liberal caucus when he sought treatment, while MP Seamus O’Regan did not when he sought treatment in December, he said it was a personal choice.
Advertisement
“It leaves open the question of whether or not he will be able to return”.
