Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added little Wednesday to his previous statement on Hunter Tootooâs resignation to seek treatment for addiction issues, leaving MPs wondering whether a specific incident led to the ministerâs departure.
Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that it was Hunterâs âown choice after a very difficult situation and we will have nothing further to say on this matter.â
Conservative MP Lisa Raitt later told CTVâs Power Play that MPs are curious about why Trudeau responded differently to Tootooâs resignation than when Liberal MP Seamus OâRegan announced he had sought treatment for alcohol issues. on Twitter at the time his âthoughts are with my friend & colleague (Seamus OâRegan) and he has my full support.â
However, Raitt said she doesnât think the public necessarily has a right to know more about why he left.
âI think this is a deeply personal issue,â she said, emphasizing that she was speaking for herself and not the Conservative Party. âWe wish him well, whatever happened.â
NDP MP Nathan Cullen said he âmostly agreesâ with Raitt. âItâs so deeply personal,â he said. âThere has been a difference in treatment (by the prime minister) and I donât know why,â he added.
Earlier on Power Play, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said that the prime ministerâs comment on the resignation âevokes a situationâ and âwe donât know what that is.â
Mulcair said there may be reasons to justify treating Tootooâs issues differently than OâReganâs, but added, âit does appear to be a contradictory position when in one case he showed a lot of empathy and in the other it was âhasta la vista.ââ
Mulcair said he is counting on the media to find out. He also said he wishes Tootoo well and hopes the prime minister will continue âto showcase that the House of Commons is now inclusive of those First Peoples.â
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said little when asked about Tootooâs resignation in the House of Commons. âI donât know the details,â she said. âFrom what we know, I guess I would just say I hope he gets the help he needs, gets healthy.â
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May that that her âheart goes outâ to Tootoo. âGet well soon and come back,â she said. âStepping back was the brave thing to do.â
OâRegan told reporters that Tootoo has âasked for privacy and privacy is what heâs owed,â adding, âbe well Hunter.â
Fellow Liberal MP Andrew Leslie, meanwhile, said he is âdeeply sympatheticâ to the situation, adding âI think heâs doing exactly the right thing in seeking medical attention.â
âLonely existenceâ
Asked on Power Play whether rookie MPs are prepared for the pressures of Ottawa, Raitt said it can be âpretty heady when you get here.â
âItâs not a healthy lifestyle,â she said. âYouâre up late, eating at weird hours, on the road a lot.â
âSome people turn to (alcohol) as a source of coping,â Raitt added. âItâs a very lonely existence here in Ottawa.â
Cullen said that although new MPs do get a briefing, âwe probably donât say enough about ⌠warning signs.â
âThere is alcohol and there are drugs around this place, and all those tensions that are naturally going on in your life,â he added. âSo be aware.â