TOOTOO WILL NOT RETURN TO CAUCUS
Left abruptly in May to treat alcohol addiction
• 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 t he Liberal caucus, t he Prime Minister’s Office says.
During a news conference at his Iqaluit office Wednesday, Tootoo wouldn’t say whether he would 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 that 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 t here 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 i ssues Tootoo said he wants to address include infrastructure i nvestment 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 consensus- style 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.”
In a statement, Tootoo confirmed that the decision to resign his post as fisheries minister and leave the Liberal caucus was his alone — a detail Trudeau emphasized at the time of his departure.
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.
“It is i mportant 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.