Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had very little to say Wednesday morning after the abrupt resignation of Hunter Tootoo, the minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian coast guard, the night before.
“As was announced yesterday, Hunter Tootoo has left the Liberal caucus and resigned from cabinet to seek treatment for addiction issues,” Trudeau said in his first public words since the resignation of the fisheries minister.
“This was his own choice after a very difficult situation and we’ll have nothing further to say on the matter,” Trudeau said on Parliament Hill, before making his way into his party’s weekly caucus meeting Wednesday morning.
Trudeau did not specify what kind of addiction issues Tootoo is seeking treatment for, nor did he elaborate on the “very difficult situation.” He did not take questions from reporters.
Government House Leader Dominic Leblanc has taken over as fisheries minister, the prime minister’s office announced Tuesday evening.
Tootoo became the second Inuk to be appointed as a senior federal cabinet minister, after former Conservative minister Leona Aglukkaq.
The MP from Nunavut was one of eight Indigenous MPs elected to the Liberal caucus in the federal election on Oct. 19.