Nunavut MP Lori Idlout presses federal ministers to act on Inuit priorities

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout (NDP), has written to four newly appointed federal ministers, urging them to take immediate action on key issues affecting Inuit communities. The letters–addressed to the Ministers of Indigenous Services, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Justice – call for accountability, consultation, and a recommitment to respecting modern treaty rights.

In her letter to Minister Tim Hodgson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources), Idlout made it clear that economic development in the North must not come at the expense of Indigenous rights or future generations.

“Inuit must not be treated as an afterthought in your government’s economic agenda,” she wrote. “Development in the North cannot come at the expense of rights, land, and future generations. You do not have legal authority to push forward projects that violate treaty agreements, ignore consultation, or rush through required processes.”

To Minister Mandy Gull-Masty (Minister of Indigenous Services), Idlout expressed deep concern over the abrupt cancellation of food voucher supports under the Inuit Child First Initiative (ICFI) Hamlet Food Voucher program, which had supported more than 15,000 Inuit children. She urged the Minister to reinstate the food voucher supports and requested a full briefing on any upcoming changes to ICFI and Jordan’s Principle.

“There is no excuse for this federal government to continue to allow Nunavummiut to go hungry,” Idlout wrote.

In her letter to Minister Rebecca Alty (Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations), Idlout emphasized broader structural barriers–such as unreliable internet, language barriers, and the lack of professionals in the North to help with applications and letters of support–that prevent Inuit from accessing federal programs.

Idlout also wrote to Minister Sean Fraser (Minister of Justice), requesting a meeting to discuss the department’s priorities and a full briefing on any upcoming bail reform.

As Idlout noted in her letter to Minister Hodgson, the government has an obligation to Reconciliation and respecting Indigenous rights, including upholding the Nunavut Land Use Agreement. As NDP critic for these files, Idlout will continue pushing the federal government to respect treaty obligations and ensure that decisions made in Ottawa reflect the lived realities of the North.

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