MP Tootoo returns from treatment
Ex-cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo is returning to his role as MP for Nunavut after undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction, but he’s not rejoining the Liberal caucus, the prime minister’s office says.
During a news conference at his Iqaluit office Wednesday, Tootoo wouldn’t say whether or not he will eventually make a return to the government benches. Cameron Ahmad, a spokesman for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said “his status with regard to the Liberal caucus remains unchanged.”
Speaking to the National Post later in the day, Tootoo reiterated the decision to step down was “mine and mine alone.”
“I know there’s all kinds of rumours out there. That’s politics,” he said.
He said there was no specific incident associated with his departure, saying several times, “this has been a very difficult journey” and “there are some deeply personal and private issues that have haunted me. “I’m taking things one step at a time,” he said.
Specific policy issues Tootoo said he wants to address include infrastructure investment in the North and “the need to drastically change the socio-economic conditions that our families and communities face here.”
“Being an independent hasn’t lessened my resolve to be a voice for Nunavut in Ottawa,” he said, adding his 14 years of experience in the consensusstyle governance of Nunavut helps him “work collaboratively with anybody on issues of mutual interest.”
Earlier, Tootoo spoke of working through “deeply personal and private issues.” He said alcohol, which has long posed a challenge to several family members, is often used as a coping mechanism for trauma — and trauma is far too common a plight in aboriginal communities.
“I have personally been affected by those impacts,” Tootoo said.
“I am extremely grateful for the patience you have granted me during my healing. I know I let people down — my family, friends, and the people of this riding — and myself. I have work to do to regain their trust and respect. That work begins now.”
Government House leader Dominic LeBlanc, who assumed Tootoo’s responsibilities on the fisheries file, has since juggled both roles, fuelling speculation about the need for cabinet changes.
It would be a tremendous loss to the territory if Tootoo is not welcomed back by the government, said Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern.
Many northerners were proud and excited when Tootoo was elected as a Liberal MP and later named to Trudeau’s cabinet, she said. As an Independent, he would not have access to a party network and the research support it affords, she noted.
“It is important when you’re in a territory with only one member of Parliament to have an effective MP who has access to the government in power, who has access to ministers and the senior bureaucracy, the decision-makers,” Redfern said.