IQALUIT
The day after Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo returned home to Iqaluit after addictions treatment, telling constituents and the press that he was ready to get back to work, controversy surrounding his abrupt resignation from his cabinet post and the Liberal caucus filled national headlines.

Hunter Tootoo back home in Iqaluit after addictions treatment in southern Canada. July 27, 2016 - Michele LeTourneau/NNSL photo

The Globe and Mail reported that according to sources, "the Prime Minister's Office became alarmed in late May when informed that Mr. Tootoo allegedly had a relationship with a staffer that it judged to be inappropriate. This improper sexual relationship, along with Mr. Tootoo's drinking, led to his resignation from cabinet and ouster from the Liberal caucus, sources say."

When he addressed media and constituents at his newly opened office in Iqaluit, Tootoo said, "I knows there are lots of rumors out there" about what may have triggered his seeking treatment, "but the fact of the matter is I came to the realization that the disease of alcoholism is a progressive disease and was affecting me in a way that I myself wasn't happy with. I realized I needed to do something. I needed help."

The Liberal Party policy convention took place in Winnipeg May 26 to 29 and on May 31 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a short statement saying Tootoo had resigned as minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and the Liberal caucus.

"This has been a very, very difficult journey"

The following morning, Trudeau told reporters gathered outside a Liberal caucus meeting that the decision on resignation came from Tootoo himself.

"This was his own choice after a very difficult situation and we'll have nothing further to say on the matter," Trudeau said.

On July 27, Tootoo reiterated that "the decision to step away from cabinet and caucus was my own. I knew that I needed to devote all of my energy and my attention to getting healthy."

"This has been a very, very difficult journey. There are some deeply personal and private issues that have haunted me. Unfortunately, alcohol is often a coping mechanism for trauma, and trauma is far too common in our communities," he said, adding he'd gone without drinking alcohol in the past, once for 13 years.

"Anyone with any addiction, whether it's alcohol or anything else, there's underlying issues that we need to deal with and we need to face. I thought at the time my problem was alcohol so I stopped drinking. But having not dealt with the deeper issues, you always end up going back to it."

Tootoo said he knows he has let people down, including family and constituents.

"I have work to do to regain their trust and respect and that work begins now. I remain just as committed to my work as a member of Parliament."

In response to a request regarding Tootoo's standing with the Liberal caucus and the allegations being publicly made against him, press secretary Cameron Ahmad with the Prime Minister's Office stated, "We wish Mr. Tootoo well as he resumes his parliamentary duties as the MP for Nunavut. His status with regard to the Liberal Caucus remains unchanged."

Meanwhile, when asked in Iqaluit if he would seek to return to the Liberal caucus, Tootoo said he'd cross that bridge in September when he returns to Ottawa for the resumption of Parliament.