Hunter Tootoo resigns as fisheries minister, leaves Liberal caucus

Nunavut MP HunterTootoohas resigned from his position as minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The release says Tootoowill betaking time to seek treatment for addiction issues.

Dominic Leblanc will assumethe role of minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, in addition to being government House leader.

• Read more on Hunter Tootoo's resignation from Justin Trudeau's cabinet

Tootoo released a short statement this evening.

"As of today I have resigned as minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and will be stepping down as a member of the Liberal caucus in order to not distract from the important work of my colleagues," the statement read.

"I have decided to seek treatment for addiction issues and ask for privacy at this time."

Tootoo became the second Inuk to be appointed as a senior cabinet minister after defeating Conservative Leona Aglukkaqin the 2015 federal election.

He had previously served as an MLA and a cabinet ministerin the Nunavut Legislature.

Tootoo became well-known in the House of Commons for passionately and personally speaking to issues that affect his constituents, including the territory's suicide crisis, as well as for wearing a sealskin bow tie to a state dinner at the White House earlier this year.

• 'My heart bleeds': Hunter Tootoo makes links between Nunavut and Attawapiskat
• Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo wears sealskin tie to the White House

Jack Anawak, whoserved as a Liberal MPfor the ridingnowknown as Nunavut from 1988 to 1997, and ran against Tootoo in the 2015 election as the NDP candidate, says he wishes Tootoowell.

"I think he did a very good job of representingNunavut, whether he was inWashington and wearing sealskin and other stuff, and that's good.

"I guess thetragedy would be that by leaving the Liberal caucus we won't have our member of Parliament in the governing party and that would be too bad."

Anawaksaid he himselfhas also sought addictionstreatmentin the past.

"People going through addictions always have something heavy on the their mind, and being in addictions treatment is a way to get that load off and come back in a better shape than when you went in.

"It's a big step and it's good to do that."