Ittinuar said he sympathizes with Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, who switched party affiliations Tuesday to join Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal caucus after more than four years as a New Democratic Party caucus member. Ittinuar similarly switched from the NDP to the Liberals in 1982 over what he described as a desire to influence the government during Nunavut land claim negotiations. These are people who influence or develop policy.”The Liberals now have 170 House of Commons seats, two shy of the 172 needed for a majority government. The NDP’s House of Commons standings meant Idlout could not sit on committees and was limited in her ability to ask questions. Ittinuar said he hopes to speak to Idlout soon to share his advice about moving forward with the switch she made.

Source: CBC News March 12, 2026 14:26 UTC