How will Idlout feel at home in Liberal caucus?
Nunavut MP must walk back criticism she heaped on Carney and Trudeau governments for 4 years
Nunavut MP Lori Idlout smiles as Liberal MPs applaud her in the House of Commons on Wednesday. On her first day in the Liberal party’s benches in the House, she asked a question about food security during question period. The newly minted Liberal crossed the floor this week after more than four years as a member of the NDP caucus. (Screenshot courtesy of ParlVu.ca)
MP Lori Idlout made a shrewd political move this week that will be good for her career in the long term, and that could benefit Nunavut, even if her own credibility takes a short-term hit.
After Idlout bashed the Liberal governments of both Mark Carney and Justin Trudeau for four years, it’s hard to imagine how the former New Democrat will be comfortable at home in the Liberal caucus after crossing the floor on Tuesday.
As recently as Feb. 19, Idlout accused Liberal Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty of applying a “Band-Aid” solution when she announced a one-year, $115-million extension of the Inuit Child First Initiative.
“These are just promises waiting to be broken,” Idlout said at the time.
Last October, when asked about a review of the Nutrition North grocery subsidy program the Liberal government launched in 2024, Idlout said she had confidence in former Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk, who the government tapped to conduct the review.
“I do not have confidence that the Liberal government will implement her recommendations,” Idlout told a reporter then.
How do you walk back talk of broken promises and a lack of confidence? Was that just political rhetoric? Or was Wednesday’s talk about being “so warmly welcomed” into the Liberal party just rhetoric?
Reader comments on the story about Idlout’s switch were (uncharacteristically) mixed.
Some called her a “traitor” to Nunavummiut, or said the move was a “slap in the face” to the NDP. Many Nunavummiut voted for her because they wanted a New Democrat — not a Liberal — representing them in Ottawa.
Another defended the move, saying electing Idlout was a vote for the MP herself, not for the NDP.
One predicted Idlout will have a better chance advocating for food security and infrastructure as a government MP than as a New Democrat.
Peter Ittinuar, an MP when Nunavut was part of the Northwest Territories, speculated Idlout’s switch might be an attempt to gain political “leverage.” Being part of the government will give her access to powerful cabinet ministers she wouldn’t have as an opposition MP.
Ittinuar should know. He also crossed the floor in 1982, also jumping from the NDP to the Liberals.
In a lucky coincidence, Nunatsiaq News this week published a three-part column by former senator Dennis Patterson who retold the history of Ittinuar’s political gamble.
When he submitted his columns, Patterson said it would be “topical” to revisit the Ittinuar episode in light of the recent string of three Conservatives who moved to the Liberals. He noted that Idlout was “at least considering” crossing the floor.
Who knew how perfectly timed Patterson’s column would prove to be?
All this said, Idlout bailing on the NDP wasn’t much of a surprise.
After the April 2025 federal election where Carney’s Liberals were left with a minority government, there was immediate speculation the prime minister would try to entice some opposition MPs to join his party.
Idlout never unequivocally ruled it out.
This floor-crossing, along with three byelections next month, puts Carney within striking distance of a majority government.
If the Liberals score that majority government, Carney might be able to stave off another general election until 2029.
By then, Nunavut voters will likely have forgotten whatever sting they felt from Idlout’s abandoning the NDP.
So what’s the big deal here. Does everyone always have the same opinion or goals from cradle to grave. Do you have one job your entire working career. Not likely. So when a politician sees a change in policies or direction to something they previously opposed or of they see better outcome for thier onstituents by adapting to changing conditions it is logical to consider changes. If you have a job and you simply become disenchanted with direction or administration it is only logical to move on. Politicians are human and must adapt to the changing world.
We’re not talking about cradle to grave we’re talking about stuff she was saying as recently as a week ago.
Lori, perhaps now you can tell Mark what really needs to be done.
Diversifying foreign trade would be a good idea in good economic times. But the whole world is heading into bad economic times. Northmart is selling frozen pizza, flown in from Germany, and blueberries, flown in from Peru. But for how long?
Lori, your Liberal government needs to focus on the production, in Canada, of the things Canadians need, so we won’t be dependent on foreign suppliers. For things like citrus fruit, it needs to promote Canadian alternatives, such as apples.
It also needs to focus on improving the trans-Canada supply network. In places only a single road and a single rail line connect east and west. Inter-provincial free trade would be a good idea, if there was capacity to move goods.
How do these things help Nunavummiut? Only an economically sound Canada is going to be able to provide Nunavut with the assistance it needs to enable Nunavut to become an equal contributor in the Canadian economy.
For example, Nunavut’s long coastline and clean ocean waters can support a huge kelp farm industry, not just for food, but for many secondary products. Yes, Nunavut has the potential to feed all of Canada.
The NDP and Liberals joined as one to act as a majority government with the universal dental health plan thrown in for the support, it however has been the undoing of the NDP party. It was a foolish move by Jagmeet Singh, as the Liberals know how to play the backroom game well, it is their stock and trade. Canada is a lesser country without a strong functioning left wing as was the New Democrats, we will regret it.
Not matter which way people try to rationalize what’s happened, the inescapable fact is that Lori misled voters in the last election on very important and significant things. She told voters that she would be an NDP member of parliament if elected and she would support NDP policies. Now, a year later, she is going back on her promises and she deceived the voters. You just can’t get around that. It’s fact and it’s truth.
The best thing to do here is go back to the voters. Let the voters decide whether this Backroom business is appropriate or not. It is all about the voters after all. Not Carney or Lori or what they think is best in the backroom.
Here’s simple question. Are Nunavummiut best served by:
– a member of the ruling party who PARTICIPATES in the identification of priorities, the design and budgeting for programs, the actual formulation of legislation, and direct access to the Prime Minister, other Ministers, and caucus members?
– a member of a leaderless group without party status?
That’s a point of view that’s certainly worth considering, but there are other points view out there as well. That’s why we have elections in a democracy so that a plurality of voters decide which point of view is best. If our MP wants to fundamentally change what her role and mandate will be in Ottawa, she should go back to the voters in a by election and see if they agree.
Whatever people think, when the voter turnout rate for Nunavut is lower than 1/3 of eligible voters, and is the lower turnout rate per capita, the candidate who makes it really doesn’t have any way to know what most Nunavumiut really thinks
Days after our MP crossed the floor, her new party announced major investments in Nunavut infrastructure and further outlined massive Arctic defense commitments.
They managed to do this now without a peep of complaint from our local federal representative that these investments were misplaced, or, even damaging to her riding. Our MP is on record previously doubting and opposing these initiatives and championing other priorities.
It would be naive to think that the Liberals did not wait to announce these things until they had this voice muzzled by their party whip. These are now wholeheartedly good news stories.
Some may think that our MP is now in a better position of power now that she is within the governing party. However, the truth is she is now simply being better managed by other people that recognize that sewing and hunting is but the realistic future of a small fraction of our youth.
She can now sit there and tow the party line while the Liberals get on with the serious business of engaging the GN and Inuit Orgs on what could and should actually happen in Nunavut.
She crossed the floor to the Liberal’s, Nunavut had a Liberal candidate in the last election Kilikvak Kabloona who lost by just 77 votes, there should be a by election in Nunavut.