Nunavut MP says 'it wasn't just one thing' that made her cross the floor to the Liberals

OTTAWA — Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said “it wasn’t just one thing” that caused her to cross the floor from the NDP to the governing Liberals but “a variety of many things” that made the move appealing.

Idlout spoke to reporters on Tuesday morning before attending her first Liberal caucus meeting, just hours after news broke on Monday night that she would be crossing the floor.

“I’m very honoured to be welcoming Lori Idlout to our caucus,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney, before the Liberal caucus meeting. “We’ve had conversations about what we can do, both large and small, in Nunavut. Large projects but also helping everyone get ahead.”

Along with the statement, Carney posted a photo on social media of Idlout and himself sitting together.

Some NDP MPs briefly responded to reporters’ questions as they arrived at a party caucus meeting on Tuesday morning.

“Right now Canada needs the NDP more than any other time in our history, I’ll tell you that. Canadians are about to learn that real quick,” said NDP MP Gord Johns.

“We will carry on. And the NDP will fight on,” said NDP MP Jenny Kwan.

The new Liberal MP could secure the party a majority government if it wins two Toronto byelections on April 13 that the Liberals are heavily favoured in. Another byelection, scheduled for the same day in Terrebonne, Quebec, could give the Liberals some extra electoral cushion, but it will be a close race with the Bloc Québécois.

Liberal MPs defended the government’s strategy of achieving a majority with floor-crossings rather than a general election on Tuesday.

“If Canadians want to have a national conversation about this in broad numbers then I think it’s certainly appropriate for us to have that conversation, but this is consistent with our parliamentary traditions and it is up to members of Parliament individually who are elected by the people in their respective ridings to determine what they want to do, that they believe is in the best interests of those that they represent,” said Liberal MP Ben Carr.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberals of making “backroom deals” to secure a majority that voters rejected.

“This majority will allow the Liberals to keep exploding the debt and the cost of living, to block our natural resources, and to leave criminals at large,” said Poilievre, in a post on X.

More to come.

National Post

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