By Canadian Press

Tootoo owes Nunavut constituents a better explanation, says Iqaluit mayor

Jul 28, 2016 | 6:25 AM

OTTAWA — Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo’s constituents deserve to know more about the circumstances surrounding his abrupt decision two months ago to leave the Liberal caucus and quit cabinet, Iqaluit’s mayor said Thursday.

Neither a spokesperson for Tootoo nor the Prime Minister’s Office would comment Thursday on a Globe and Mail report citing anonymous sources who allege he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Madeleine Redfern, who was first elected mayor of Iqaluit in 2010, said whether those allegations are founded or not, they will continue to hang over Tootoo’s head until he takes steps to clear the air.

“It puts him — and it puts us — in an extremely difficult position,” Redfern said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “We only have one member of Parliament.”

Redfern said she is hearing “more and more calls” for Tootoo to resign his seat.

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Tootoo, 52, declared in May he would be stepping down as fisheries minister and leaving the Liberal caucus before beginning a leave of absence to seek treatment for an alcohol problem.

That leave of absence ended Wednesday when Tootoo invited local residents and journalists to his office in Iqaluit for a news conference and open house, billed as a chance for constituents to “address their concerns.”

“I know I let people down — my family, friends, and the people of this riding — and myself,” Tootoo said. “I have work to do to regain their trust and respect. That work begins now.”

But while he has acknowledged “rumours,” Tootoo has steadfastly refused to confirm or deny them, dismissing the talk as the stuff of politics. The PMO has also remained mum, except to say the MP will not return to the Liberal caucus.

Nunavut — a territory the size of western Europe — only has a single federal seat. It is the largest but least populous of all of Canada’s provinces and territories. It’s home to about 34,000 people, 84 per cent of them Inuit.

“We need him to do the work we elected him to do, which is to lobby on our behalf,” Redfern said. “Now we don’t know or see how that is possible if the Liberal party is not prepared to work with him.”

Tootoo’s departure from cabinet and caucus certainly means less access in the halls of power, but Independent MPs can still play a role in Parliament, said Carleton University political science professor Jonathan Malloy.

“It is not like the government can suddenly ignore Nunavut,” he said. “The federal government has a very direct role in the territory so there’s a lot of other players there besides the MP.”

During Wednesday’s news conference, Tootoo attributed his drinking to “deeply personal and private issues,” saying he used alcohol as a coping mechanism.

In an interview, he later acknowledged “all kinds of rumours” about the circumstances of his departure but declined to elaborate further.

“That’s politics,” Tootoo said. “I know what I’m dealing with … I needed to seek help and that’s exactly what I did.”

The Globe report said Tootoo was asked repeatedly whether he had an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer, but insisted on repeating what sounded like prepared remarks.

Redfern urged Tootoo to speak up.

“If the allegations are false, it is quite simple to deny them,” Redfern said. “What we have not heard is an absolute clear denial or him refuting the allegations.”

—Follow @kkirkup on Twitter

Kristy Kirkup, The Canadian Press