Nunavut Member of Parliament Lori Idlout has confirmed that she has repaid the House of Commons for mistakenly expensing items purchased from her own business, Carvings Nunavut, a gallery specializing in Inuit-made carvings and artwork. Records show that on four occasions in 2025, Idlout charged expenses to the House of Commons for purchases made from her business, totaling $1,756. The expenses, categorized as “gifts given as a matter of protocol,” consisted of two $150 purchases in January, a $76 purchase in June, and a $1,380 purchase in August.
Members of Parliament are prohibited from benefiting personally from expenses or contracts charged to the House of Commons. In response to inquiries about these expenditures, Idlout explained that the purchases were for Indigenous artwork used in her role as an MP. She acknowledged the error and promptly reimbursed the House of Commons for the full amount.
Idlout recently switched from the New Democratic Party (NDP) to the Liberal caucus, becoming the fourth member to defect to the Carney Liberals in recent months. Having served in office since 2021, Idlout cited a desire for the government to collaborate with Nunavut, not just make decisions about the region, as a motivating factor for joining the governing party.
The controversy surrounding the expenses incurred during her tenure as an NDP MP prompted criticism from Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett, who highlighted the lapse in judgment and raised concerns about the nature of the gifts and their recipients. Barrett has formally raised these concerns with the Board of Internal Economy, the body responsible for setting rules related to MPs’ expenditures.
The ethics commissioner’s office confirmed that MPs are prohibited from advancing their personal interests while carrying out public duties, hinting at the potential for an inquiry into the matter based on various triggers. This development comes in the wake of a previous ethics violation case involving former Liberal MP Yasmin Ratansi.
