Another NDP Defection to the Liberals

On March 11, Nunavut NDP Member of Parliament Lori Idlout announced that she has crossed the floor to the Liberal Party. Idlout is the second NDP elected member to join the Liberals, the first being Doly Begum, NDP Member of the Ontario Provincial Legislature in Scarborough Southwest who has resigned her provincial seat to run for the Liberals in the April 13 federal by-election. Prior to Idlout's official announcement, Interim NDP Leader Don Davies expressed his disappointment at her decision and called for her to face a by-election. "We believe that when someone rejects the decision of their electors and wants to join another party, they should put that decision to their voters. In a democracy, something as important as the choice of party representation in Parliament must always remain with our constituents," he said.

While his position is based on principle, it begs the question that the current system of representation and cartel party governments harbours MPs who no longer represent either their constituents or their parties and that it is high time electoral laws no longer be based on the premise that their aim is to elect party governments.

Idlout won the Nunavut riding for a second term in the April 2025 general election. She defeated the Liberal candidate by 41 votes in an election which saw a voter turnout of only 36.24 per cent of eligible voters – only 7,747 of the riding's 21,376 eligible voters cast ballots.

Idlout's official statement was published on the Liberal Party's website. It gives a narrative which the Liberals are repeating often about the need to back the Liberal government to Make Canada Strong in these uncertain times. The entire thing diverts attention away from what precisely the Liberals are doing and that, far from making Canada strong, their agenda is embroiling Canada in war preparations and restructuring the state in a manner than gives a green light to the destruction of the natural and social environment and exponentially increases the profits of narrow private interests. Idlout's statement furthermore repeats the false narrative that ridings where a member of the ruling party is elected have a "seat at the table," are part of decision-making, as compared to ridings in which a member of an opposition party is elected to parliament.

She said "With new threats against our sovereignty and pressures on the well-being of people throughout the North, we need a strong and ambitious government that makes decisions with Nunavut – not only about Nunavut. That is why after much personal reflection and encouragement from my community, family, and supporters, I have decided to join the government caucus and to work alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney to build the better future that Nunavummiut are counting on."

"Mark Carney is our first Prime Minister from the North, and at this turning point in our history, I am ready to work with him to build a strong future for Nunavut and for all of Canada," she added, further revealing that her conception of who and what constitute "the north" is a figment of a deluded imagination.

As was the case with the three Conservative MP's who have crossed the floor, media is now full of examples of Idlout's previous criticisms of the Liberal government. In October, when the federal government announced it was appealing a lawsuit over medical experimentation on Inuit children, she said, "I am devastated to hear that the Liberals are looking to prevent justice, yet again." In September, referring to the Iqaluit hydroelectric project, she said, "PM Carney has pitted Indigenous nations against each other and infringed on Indigenous rights and title." In August, when the Liberals cut food vouchers for the region, Idlout said, "I am disgusted by the Carney Government's response to Nunavut. Nunavummiut deserve better." The fact that Idlout endorsed and spoke in favour of one of the NDP leadership contenders only a week prior to crossing the floor is drawing parallels with Conservative floor-crosser Michael Ma having cheerfully attended a Conservative Christmas party the day before his defection.

Whatever deal Idlout cut with Carney, he is beaming as he exudes confidence that all of Canada endorses his "mandate." Unsaid in all of this is that as more NDP MPs resign or abandon the NDP, the more the Liberal dream of eliminating the NDP is realized because they want all NDP voters to join the Liberals so that the Liberals can claim to be the natural governing party for Canadians. It is all a farce which will sooner or later come back to haunt the establishment which wants to pretend the government unites the nation because it has the support of everyone from former Prime Minister Harper on the "right" to the NDP on the "left." In fact, they are all scoundrels of the first order and Canadians and Quebeckers know it.

This article was published in

Volume 56 Number 6 - March 11, 2026

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/T560062.HTM

Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca