Hunter Tootoo

The Honourable Hunter Tootoo ᕼᐊᓐᑕ ᑐᑐ PC MP
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
In office November 4, 2015 – May 31, 2016
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Gail Shea
Succeeded by	Dominic LeBlanc
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Nunavut
Incumbent
Assumed office October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Leona Aglukkaq
7th Speaker of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly[1]
In office May 31, 2011 – November 15, 2013
Preceded by	Paul Okalik
Succeeded by	George Qulaut
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for Iqaluit Centre
In office February 15, 1999 – October 28, 2013
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	Riding dissolved
Personal details
Born	August 18, 1963 Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut)[2]
Political party	Independent[3]
Other political affiliations	Liberal (2015-2016) New Democratic (1997-1999)

Hunter A. Tootoo, PC MP (Inuktitut: ᕼᐊᓐᑕ ᑐᑐ;^[4] born August 18, 1963) is a politician in Nunavut, Canada.^[5] He represents the electoral district of Nunavut in the House of Commons of Canada, and was appointed the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard in the federal Cabinet, headed by Justin Trudeau, on November 4, 2015. Tootoo resigned from cabinet and the Liberal caucus on May 31, 2016 to take a leave from Parliament to seek treatment for alcohol addiction. Tootoo returned to his MP duties by the end of July 2016 after the completion of his treatment program but remains sitting as an independent.

Before federal politics, Tootoo served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, where he represented the riding of Iqaluit Centre from 1999 to 2013. Tootoo was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2011 to 2013.

Early life and career

Tootoo was born in Rankin Inlet, the son of Batiste Tootoo, an Inuk, and Sally Luttmer (née Wolfe), originally from Montreal and descended from Lithuanian Jewish immigrants.^[6] He is a businessman in northern Canada, and was the co-founder of the Iqaluit branch of Arctic Insurance Brokers Ltd. Tootoo is a former member of the Northwest Territories Co-op Business Development Board, the Sport North Board of Directors, and Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.^[5]

Tootoo has long been involved in government administration. He served as regional coordinator for the town of Arviat in 1993. He became the administration officer for the NWT Department of Recreation and Tourism in 1995, and was named as the corporate control officer of the NWT Department of Finance later in the same year. In 1997, he became assistant director of the NWT Housing Corporation in Iqaluit. Tootoo was a member of the Public Service Alliance of Canada in this period.^[5]

Political career

He began his political career as a member of the Hamlet Council of Rankin Inlet.^[5] In the federal election of 1997, he ran for the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the New Democratic Party in the riding of Nunavut. He finished third, behind Liberal Nancy Karetak-Lindell. Tootoo spoke out against the Liberal government's gun registration program during this campaign.

Nunavut became a separate jurisdiction in 1999, and Tootoo declared himself a candidate for the territory's first general election. He was easily elected in Iqaluit Centre, defeating three opponents. He was returned again in the 2004 election, although by a narrower margin, and again in the 2008 election. During his time in the legislature, he served as Minister Responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, Minister Responsible for Homelessness and Minister Responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation^[5]

The government of Nunavut is structured along non-partisan lines, and all members are elected and serve as independents. Tootoo was often described as the unofficial leader of the legislative opposition. In 2003, he successfully tabled a motion to remove Jack Anawak from the Nunavut cabinet.

Tootoo was selected on July 27, 2015 as the Liberal candidate for the Nunavut federal electoral riding in the Canadian federal election, 2015.^[7] Tootoo stepped down as the chair of the Nunavut Planning Commission shortly afterwards.^[8] On October 19, 2015, Tootoo won the election, defeating Conservative incumbent and cabinet minister Leona Aglukkaq.^[9]

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

On November 4, 2015, Tootoo was appointed as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard in the 29th Canadian Ministry;^[10] Tootoo became the first Fisheries Minister to be from Northern Canada.^[11] He resigned from the cabinet on May 31, 2016, citing issues with addiction.^[12] Tootoo also resigned from the Liberal caucus and his cabinet role was filled by Dominic LeBlanc.^[12] The Globe and Mail reported that Tootoo entered treatment for alcohol abuse.^[13]

By July 25, 2016, Tootoo completed his alcohol addiction treatment program and resumed his duties as an MP starting with an invitation to a constituency open house on the 28th.^[14] In the same month, after a report by The Globe and Mail, Tootoo admitted that he had had a "consensual but inappropriate" relationship with one of his female staffers which led to his resignation, which had been kept quiet in respect for the privacy of the other parties.^[15][16]

In September 2016, Robert Fife of The Globe and Mail reported that after Tootoo broke off his relationship with his female staffer in favour of a relationship with her mother, the staffer damaged his Parliamentary office, which prompted Tootoo to tender his resignation to Prime Minister Trudeau.^[15]

Personal life

Tootoo is the cousin of hockey player Jordin Tootoo and the nephew of Manitoba NDP MLA George Hickes. Tootoo's mother is Jewish from Montreal. Tootoo is also an avid curler. He played for the Nunavut team at the 2013 The Dominion Curling Club Championship.^[17]

Electoral record

Federal

Canadian federal election, 2015: Nunavut
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Hunter Tootoo	5,619	47.11%	+18.49	–
	New Democratic	Jack Iyerak Anawak	3,171	26.58%	+7.14	–
	Conservative	Leona Aglukkaq	2,956	24.78%	-25.07	–
	Green	Spencer Rocchi	182	1.53%	-0.55	–
Total valid votes/Expense limit			11,928	100.0		$202,334.18
Total rejected ballots			95	–	–
Turnout			12,203	62.54%	–
Eligible voters			19,223
Source: Elections Canada[18][19]

Canadian federal election, 1997: Nunavut
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Nancy Karetak-Lindell	3,302	45.88	−23.87	$30,212
	Progressive Conservative	Okalik Eegeesiak	1,737	24.13	+3.54	$11,251
	New Democratic	Hunter Tootoo	1,710	23.76	+14.10	$11,918
	Reform	John Turner	447	6.21	–
Total valid votes			7,196	100.0
Total rejected ballots			48	0.66
Turnout			7,244	59.80
	Liberal notional hold		Swing		−13.70

Territorial

2008 Nunavut general election: Iqaluit Centre
	Name	Vote	%
	Hunter Tootoo	317	61.7%
	Madeleine Redfern	146	28.4%
	Joe Sageaktook	51	9.9%
Total Valid Ballots		514	100%
Voter Turnout		Rejected Ballots

2004 Nunavut general election: Iqaluit Centre
[20]	Name	Vote	%
	Hunter Tootoo	263	44.80%
	Mike Courtney	167	28.45%
	Natsiq Alainga-Kango	78	13.29%
	Mary Ellen Thomas	37	6.30%
	Kevin MacCormack	29	4.94%
	Pauloosie Paniloo	13	2.22%
Total Valid Ballots		587	100%
Voter Turnout 101.73%		Rejected Ballots 2

1999 Nunavut general election: Iqaluit Centre
	Name	Vote	%
	Hunter Tootoo	261	54.95%
	Lynda Gunn	95	20.00%
	Johnny Nowdlak	64	13.47%
	Bill Strickland	55	11.58%
Total Valid Ballots		475	100%
Voter Turnout %		Rejected Ballots

References

1. The Honourable Hunter Tootoo, archived from the original on May 25, 2012, retrieved September 22, 2013
2. Hunter Tootoo, archived from the original on September 28, 2007, retrieved September 22, 2013
3. "Hunter Tootoo's resignation means loss of influence for Nunavut, analyst says". CBC News. June 16, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016. The Liberals confirm he is still a member of the party but he's sitting as an independent in Parliament.
4. Government of Nunavut (5 December 2007). "Standing Committee - Ajauqtiit - Ministerial Appearance on Bill 6: Official Languages Act ; Bill 7: Inuit Language Protection Act ; Iqaluit, Nunavut" (PDF). Assembly of Nunavut.
5. The Honourable Hunter Tootoo MLA for Iqaluit Centre, archived from the original on October 3, 2010, retrieved September 22, 2013
6. Devils winger Jordin Tootoo's 'in' with the Canadian Prime Minister NJ.com
7. As election campaign heats up in Nunavut, Liberals anoint Hunter Tootoo
8. "Hunter Tootoo steps down as chair of Nunavut Planning Commission". CBC News. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
9. "Hunter Tootoo celebrates Liberal win in Nunavut". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
10. "Hunter Tootoo, Nunavut MP, to join Trudeau's cabinet". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
11. "Hunter Tootoo a good choice for minister: P.E.I. Fishermen's Association". CBC News. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
12. "Hunter Tootoo resigns as Fisheries minister, leaves Liberal caucus". CBC News. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
13. Fife, Robert; Stone, Laura (May 31, 2016). "Hunter Tootoo resigns as fisheries minister to seek alcohol treatment". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
14. Tasker, John Paul; Peter, Zimonjic (July 25, 2016). "Hunter Tootoo out of rehab, ready to return to Parliament Hill". CBC News. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
15. Fife, Robert (September 12, 2016). "Hunter Tootoo's messy love triangle helped spur resignation from cabinet". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
16. "Tootoo left Liberal cabinet, caucus over 'consensual relationship'". CTV News. August 3, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
17. http://www.curling.ca/thedominioncurls/teams/men/
18. Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Nunavut, 30 September 2015
19. Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
20. "Nunavut general election 2004 Election Results" (PDF). Elections Nunavut. p. 36. Retrieved 2008-09-24.