Prime Minister Trudeau has lost his first cabinet minister with the resignation of Hunter Tootoo as Fisheries Minister. Tootoo will also be leaving the Liberal caucus to seek treatment for addiction issues.
The short statement from the Prime Minister does not specify the nature of the addiction or why Tootoo is leaving the party’s caucus.
Government House leader Dominic LeBlanc is taking over as Fisheries Minister with additional responsibility for the Coast Guard.
Tootoo’s cousin is NHL player Jordin Tootoo, who wrote a book about his experiences in the NHL and dealing with alcohol addiction.
Meantime, M-P’s have passed legislation on medically assisted dying. The bill now goes to the Senate for approval but it looks like the June 6th deadline for passage imposed by the Supreme Court will not be met.
Some senators have said they want changes made which would send the bill back to the M-P’s.
