MP for Nunavut Lori Idlout rises in the House of Commons.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Nunavut MP Lori Idlout is leaving the NDP to join the Liberal caucus, adding another floor-crosser to the government ranks as the Liberals inch closer to a majority government.
She is the fourth MP to join Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government from another party, and the first not to have come from the Conservative caucus. NDP interim Leader Don Davies issued a statement late Tuesday confirming the move and saying the party has a long-standing view that floor crossers should step down and run in a by-election.
“We’re very disappointed that Lori Idlout has decided to join the Liberal caucus,” he 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.”
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The move brings the Liberals to 170 seats in the House of Commons. Mr. Carney called three by-elections on Sunday to fill vacant seats. If the Liberals win at least two of them, they will have a narrow majority.
The by-elections will be held on April 13. Two of them are in Ontario ridings that regularly vote Liberal: Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale.
The third by-election is in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne, near Montreal, which was a tight race last year between the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois.
Lori Idlout, the newest member of Prime Minister Mark Carney's government, said she quit the NDP caucus because she felt she was 'betraying' her constituents.
The Canadian Press
The Liberals won that riding by a single vote in the April federal election. But the Supreme Court recently annulled the result, making a by-election necessary.
If the Liberals win two of the by-elections, they will have 172 seats, the threshold for a majority government.
But if they were to win all three by-elections, giving them 173 seats, this would have practical consequences in the House of Commons.
The current Speaker is a Liberal MP. The Speaker votes only in the event of a tie. Convention dictates that when the Speaker votes, they should side with preserving the status quo.
At 172 seats, it is possible that some government initiatives could be held up without support from at least one MP from another party. At 173 seats, the government would have an easier path to operate as a majority government.
Liberal Justice Minister Sean Fraser posted a photo of himself with Ms. Idlout on social media late Tuesday welcoming her to the caucus. He said she has been a tireless advocate for Nunavut and “a constructive partner” on files like housing.
“Her focus has always been on delivering real outcomes for the people she represents,” he wrote.
Ms. Idlout could not immediately be reached for comment.
She told CBC News in January that she had been approached by Liberal Party members and constituents about crossing the floor. She said at the time that she had decided she couldn’t.
“It’s definitely weighed heavily on me, and I’ve had so many conversations with people and I just appreciate everyone who I’ve talked with,” she said at the time.
“What they’ve all said is that whatever I decide, it will be what I think is best for Nunavummiut.”
Last month, Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux became the third Conservative MP to cross the floor to the Liberals since November. The two others are Nova Scotia’s Chris d’Entremont and Ontario’s Michael Ma.
Ms. Idlout’s move brings the size of the NDP caucus down to six MPs. They could soon lose another. The party’s lone Quebec MP, Alexandre Boulerice, has said in recent weeks that he is considering a move to provincial politics to run as a candidate for Québec Solidaire.
The NDP will announce its next leader on March 29 at a convention in Winnipeg.