Voters’ calls, NDP woes and more influence led to party switch: Idlout
Nunavut MP describes ‘amazing’ reception by Liberal caucus, backlash from ‘keyboard warriors’
Nunavut MP Lori Idlout speaks to reporters on April 29, 2025, after winning the previous day’s federal election. Calls for the former NDP member to cross the floor and join the Liberals came soon after her victory, Idlout says. (File photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Not long after winning a second term as Nunavut’s NDP MP last year, Lori Idlout started getting calls telling her to cross the floor of the House of Commons and join the Liberals.
“I wasn’t ready at the time because I had established myself with the NDP caucus. They had become such close friends,” Idlout said in a phone interview from Ottawa on Thursday.
Nearly a year later — and after receiving “thousands” of messages and calls from constituents — Idlout left the NDP on Tuesday and joined Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority Liberal government.
“Between then and now, the requests kept coming,” Idlout said.
“I just needed to show my constituents that I will do what I can for them by listening to them.”
Idlout cited doing what her constituents were asking her to do as her primary reason for crossing the floor.
The NDP’s efforts to rebuild after being reduced to seven seats and losing official party status in the April 2025 election was also a factor.
“In the NDP, it became too much about rebuilding the party and all the focus is on doing NDP work,” Idlout said.
“I needed to make sure that Nunavummiut clearly understand that, indeed, they will always be my first priority.”
Another factor: the ability to influence government policy.
Former MP Peter Ittinuar — who crossed the floor from the NDP to the Liberal government in 1982 — and former senator Dennis Patterson both told Nunatsiaq News that Idlout could have more leverage and influence on the government side through access to ministers and being a voice on committees.
Idlout agreed, noting she didn’t have to “beg for time” while participating in an Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee meeting Thursday.
She expects she will now have a say in government policy before it gets tabled in the House of Commons, rather than afterward.
The Liberals now have 170 House of Commons seats, two shy of the 172 needed for a majority government. That majority could be obtained next month depending on the results of three federal byelections.
Since her first election victory in 2021, Idlout has been a vocal critic of what she called the Liberal government’s failures to act on issues involving Nunavut, from the housing crisis to food insecurity.
“I’m not going to try to fix what I said in the past. Those are statements that I honestly felt true at the time,” Idlout said.
“It became clear to me that if I’m going to understand how these decisions are being made, then a part of that decision needs to be to join the Liberals so that I am part [of the decision-making] process and not feeling frustrated with the lack of information that we have as opposition members.”
The past 48 hours have been “amazing” and “very exciting,” she said. She’s getting used to being a government member.
Idlout has also faced criticism and backlash online from people in Nunavut and across Canada. Regardless of where you stand politically, dealing with “naysayers” and “keyboard warriors” comes with the job, she said.
“I just accept it, unfortunately, as a part of being the voice of Nunavut,” Idlout said.
“We are in a society where this kind of abuse is normalized. I wish it wouldn’t be, but I’m here to work for Nunavut and I’m here to represent the needs of Nunavummiut.”
In 2025 I do not think even the most die hard NDPer thought they could form the government.
Idlout ran as an NDP knowing she would realistically have to “beg for time” when she ran as an NDP candidate for Nunavut.
This is a travesty for Nunavut liberals and the 2025 liberal candidate.
In your article, you note that Idlout has been a vocal critic of the Carney government’s response to the housing crisis and food insecurity. In respond to that, Idlout now says “ I’m not going to try to fix what I said in the past. Those are statements that I honestly felt were true in the past”. Well, what a ridiculous statement that is!! Either you were right when you made those statements about the liberal government or you were wrong and misguided. You can’t have it both ways. Typical politician who can never be straight with voters. I really would have respected her if she had just said “ I was wrong with everything I said before about this Liberal government and they really have been doing good”. But again, the typical politician tries to weasel out. Sorry, I’m not drinking her koolaid.
Anyone who thinks the Liberals will turn to Idlout for policy advice and insight has never met Idlout or a Liberal.
They’ll have her on the front benches for a week or so, but in the next sitting she’ll be in the back.
Since I know you’re reading this Lori – you have beclowned yourself and for what? A committee seat?
You think you’re a member of the team now. You’re a mascot. Eventually you will see that.
We’ll see what happens. She might be a totem, sure… but she can leverage that. Or can she?
I guess we will see
Sellout, why don’t you ran in the next general election? Nunavummiut elect whom they like, not the partyline.
I disgustingly smell a favorable article from nunatsiaq
Not surprising given that nunatsiaq ran a 3-part series on how good floor-crossing has been for Nunavut. The series ended the day Lori crossed the florr to the liberals, in a mirror of what the series had discussed with Ittinuar going from NDP to liberal.
.
that was priming people’s reaction to what they knew was coming… or, one of the greatest coincidences in historry!
I’m with a lot of other citizens, being of the opinion that, if you want to cross the floor that’s fine, but it has to trigger a by election. This floor jumping is really, really vulnerable to corruption. What favours are being promised? Is it possible now to “buy” your way to a majority? Fix this!
The keyboard warriors are at it again.
I am proud that Lori realized she was able to do more good for the people influencing government northern policy than working on internally partisan rebuilding efforts.
The North needs more people like Lori!
For those that want a byelection because Lori crossed the floor, are you going to come up with an electable candidate? Lori would still be voted in as a Liberal. Nunavummiut vote for the individual, not the Party represented.
Well, I guess we’ll never know, will we? Cause your “person” chose not to give her constituents the choice.
Keyboard warriors? Perfect! Let’s call an election again and let the people express themselves through a language she’ll get.
She fill out the election forms as an NDP and elections Nunavut did not even say there will be voting for MP. See how they are working. If there is a vote today, NDP still would win. Liberals and conservatives are all talk no action only until there is threats against them. No public inquiry for Liberals across Canada and they always try to make bill-c to make excuses to use. While there is law and regulations they got too.
Go back to school
Wanted:
One Inuk representative for the sinking ship SS NDP 🚢
Must be willing to criticize every Liberal decision come debate time.
If the vote is not respected – then what has Canada become?
A democracy or continued on path to dictatorship?
If you want your Red team to be known as trustworthy for the people. Then what’s stopping to have 4 by-elections for the 4 floor-crossers and let the people, the voters, decide if they belong where they want to go.
Only 26% of Canadians in a poll say that the MP who crosses the floor is okay and no by-election is required.
Another poll by Leger showed 51% believe floor crossing is unethical.
Then who owns the seat the MP sits in?
Montreal and Toronto are playing for the Stanley Cup.
The first game Toronto loses, so a second-line player crosses the ice to play for Montreal.
2nd and 3rd game 2 more players from the 1st and 3rd lines cross the ice to play on the Montreal team.
Fourth game, the Montreal fans say was a star player for Toronto who skated over to play for Montreal.
NDP voters don’t necessarily vote for the person but for the party. They accept not to win, but what the NDP stands for… to hold the government, the Liberals, accountable. To question the decisions and pull back the curtains for Canadians to see with transparency what’s trying to be done.
Keep them ethical, expose the never-ending corruption and the speed at which our freedoms are being stripped away today. (Though that was more the older NDP).
This NDP floor-crosser, the name has already faded in the news. But has awoken Canadians sea to sea to sea; the power is within the voter. The MP’s chair belongs to the people, not the MP, to take and move wherever they wish without a by-election.
The trust and respect for any floor-crossing MPs… has crapped out.
Ceci n’est pas une keyboard warrior.
The posters here, how many actually vote?
Damn, sorry i dont wote, but let me be clear, they all call yall voters because they take your right, i dont even get invite or got mail from gov, cuz they know i have right to not vote, let me call every inuit voters from now on