Hunter Tootoo speaks in Vancouver, B.C., on Dec. 16, 2015.Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
Despite growing calls for his resignation, Hunter Tootoo is refusing to step down after admitting to a "consensual but inappropriate relationship" that led him to leave cabinet and the Liberal caucus.
The now-independent Nunavut MP, who recently completed rehab for alcohol addiction, will "absolutely not" resign, his office said on Thursday.
Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern said in an interview with The Globe and Mail that many constituents, including herself, want Mr. Tootoo to resign and run in a by-election as an independent candidate. She said she is concerned the former federal fisheries minister will no longer be an effective MP now that he is out of both cabinet and caucus.
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"We really need to ensure that we have an MP in Ottawa who's not mired by booze and sex scandals, that is able to effectively lobby and work on our behalf," she said.
"He should really do the honourable thing and stop making this all about himself."
Former territorial minister Manitok Thompson echoed Ms. Redfern's concerns, saying about 34,000 people will be directly affected by Mr. Tootoo's decision to stay on despite his departure from the Liberal cabinet and caucus.
"Is it about him or is it about the people that he serves?" Ms. Thompson said.
"It is not about him any more. It is not about Hunter. This chair … is not his private seat, this independent seat. It is about the people."
After refusing to address allegations in The Globe last week that he had an inappropriate relationship with a junior female staff member, Mr. Tootoo admitted on Wednesday during a televised statement on CBC Nunavut to a "consensual but inappropriate relationship" with an unnamed person. He cited the relationship as the reason he resigned from cabinet and the Liberal caucus and entered rehab for alcohol addiction.
"I let my judgment be clouded, and I have also let alcohol take over my life," Mr. Tootoo said in his statement. "I am ashamed and I apologize to all involved, especially the people of Nunavut. I am deeply sorry."
Mr. Tootoo said he informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the relationship on May 31, the day he resigned from his ministerial duties and left caucus, a version of events corroborated by the Prime Minister's Office. "In the same conversation Mr. Tootoo informed the Prime Minister that he took full and sole responsibility for his inappropriate workplace conduct," the PMO said in a statement. Both cited privacy concerns as the reason the story was not initially made public.
Ms. Thompson said the Prime Minister should have been more forthcoming about Mr. Tootoo's behaviour, noting the Liberals campaigned on openness and transparency during the past federal election.
"We have the right to know why he was kicked out," she said. "He didn't quit on his own. Nobody quits those jobs unless somebody tells them to go."
Sources say building security had also attended to a commotion in Mr. Tootoo's office, which triggered an incident report.
Mr. Tootoo's office turned down an interview request from The Globe on Thursday and said it would not be responding to requests for comment.
Ms. Redfern said on Thursday that many constituents are starting to call for Mr. Tootoo's resignation, because they voted on party lines and are upset an independent now occupies Nunavut's sole federal seat.
"If he wants to run as an independent with his track record, he's free to do so. Let the constituents choose," she said.
Jack Anawak, a former Liberal MP and the federal NDP's nominee in Nunavut in last year's election, said it does not appear likely Mr. Tootoo will be welcomed back into caucus.
"We're going to have an MP with not much influence, or very little influence, when Nunavut needs a strong member of Parliament," he said.
Mr. Tootoo's office said he is planning a tour later this month of parts of his sprawling northern riding, which encompasses the entire territory of Nunavut, before heading back to Ottawa for the resumption of Parliament next month.
With a report from The Canadian Press
Laura Stone