New Democratic Party MP Lori Idlout is crossing the floor to join the Liberals, setting up Prime Minister Mark Carney to secure a majority government if upcoming byelections go his way.
Interim NDP Leader Don Davies appeared to scoop the Liberals when he issued a statement late Tuesday night.
“We’re very disappointed that Lori Idlout has decided to join the Liberal caucus,” it said.
“The position of the New Democrats on floor crossing is longstanding and clear. 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.”
Three senior Liberals confirmed the move to CBC News and Radio-Canada.
The move gets Prime Minister Mark Carney closer to a sought-after majority in the House of Commons. It drops the NDP down to just six MPs and brings the Liberals up to 170 seats.
“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,” Idlout said in a statement.
“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.”
Idlout has represented Nunavut in the House of Commons since 2021.
This marks the fourth floor crosser to join Carney’s benches and the first from the NDP. He has picked up three Conservative MPs since November: Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont, Toronto MP Michael Ma and Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux.
The prime minister now needs two more Liberal MPs to reach 172 seats, which would give him a thin majority in the House of Commons.
There are three upcoming byelections that could get Carney to that spot — depending on what voters decide.
The Toronto ridings of University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest are considered safe Liberal seats, while the Quebec riding of Terrebonne was won by the Liberals by just one vote during the spring 2025 election. The Supreme Court of Canada annulled the 2025 federal election result in the Montreal-area riding.
They are set for April 13.
Late last year Carney told CBC News “a spectrum of MPs” are enticed by his brand of government, suggesting MPs from other parties were open to joining his party.
In January Idlout told CBC News she had been asked to consider crossing the floor, but said she decided “at this point that I can’t.”
“Whatever I decide, it will be what I think is best for Nunavummiut,” she said.
Just last Thursday, Idlout spoke in support of NDP leadership contender Avi Lewis at a rally in Ottawa.
The floor crossing is a further blow to the party, which has been trying to rebuild following a devastating loss in the federal election last spring that saw the party lose official party status in the House of Commons.
