Nunavut Liberal executive quit in wake of Tootoo departure

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Hunter Tootoo answers a question in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

OTTAWA -- Most of the Nunavut Liberal executive has quit in the aftermath of Hunter Tootoo leaving the party over his inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

Four of the five Liberals who formed the Nunavut Federal Liberal Association executive have left their volunteer posts in the last few weeks after Tootoo, who had been the federal fisheries minister, resigned from both cabinet and caucus to enter treatment for an addiction. Tootoo later admitted under intense media pressure to having had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. He said the relationship was consensual.

Michel Potvin, who had been president of the association, didn't respond to repeated requests for comment.

Earlier this month, David Lintaman, another former member of the Nunavut Liberal executive, tweeted that most of the executive had quit. He also suggested it was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who chose Tootoo as a candidate, rather than local Liberals.

"Hunter was a greenlight candidate chosen by the party leader," Lintaman wrote on Twitter.

Pressed for more information, he said the association had other candidates they wanted, but those potential contestants had "opted out." He declined to identify the other candidates the association had wanted to run for the Liberal nomination and he refused to elaborate on his tweets.

A spokesman for the Liberal Party wouldn't provide a list of the executive members in Nunavut or confirm who had stepped down, noting they were volunteers.

"The Liberal Party of Canada is working with Nunavut Liberals as they begin taking steps to fill recent volunteer vacancies on the local Liberal EDA [electoral district association] executive," Braeden Caley wrote in an email.

"As always, we continue to be fully committed to ensuring that the voices of Nunavut Liberals are strongly represented in the Liberal Party of Canada, and that all Nunavut residents continue to have their ideas heard and priorities shared by the Liberal team in Parliament."

Ranbir Hundal, who a source told CTV News is the only remaining member of the executive, didn't respond to repeated emailed requests for comment.

It's not clear why the executive members quit, although the loss of most of the board suggests a deep malaise since Tootoo resigned from the Liberals. He continues to represent the territory as an independent MP.

One former executive member would say only to expect a statement in September when they are all back from summer holidays.

Tootoo's return to work at the end of July raised more questions, with some in Iqaluit calling for Tootoo to step down and run in a byelection if he wants to continue sitting as an independent.

"I understand why some people are calling for his resignation ... to give us that opportunity to elect a Liberal MP, which is what we did in the first place," Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern said an interview with CTV News last month.

Shortly after his return, Tootoo posted an apology on Facebook.

"Deeply sorry. Voluntarily told PMO about consensual relationship. Was asked to keep it private. I resigned [and] went to addiction treatment."