Ethics commissioner recommends no sanctions against Idlout despite contravention of Conflict of Interest Code
(The Hill Times photograph by Stuart Benson)
Liberal MP Lori Idlout and her husband Allan Mullin at the Liberal Party convention on April 9, 2026, in Montreal.
Liberal MP Lori Idlout will not face any sanctions despite violating the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, according to Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein’s ruling.
“I believe Ms. Idlout’s actions were errors of judgement made in good faith. She did not realize that making purchases from two businesses would further her or her spouse’s private interests,” Von Finckenstein is quoted in a Sept. 2 press release published by the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. “She also repaid the House of Commons as soon as the errors were brought to her attention. In my view, this shows a true desire to fully remedy each instance of non-compliance. I therefore recommended that no sanction be imposed.”
The Commissioner’s investigation examined claims for reimbursement related to multiple purchases made by Idlout at her Iqaluit-based Indigenous art gallery, Carvings Nunavut Inc.; and travel expenses related to renting three rooms for a single night at Al’s B&B, a short-term rental business in Igloolik, Nunavut, owned by the MP’s husband Allan Mullin.
Although Carvings Nunavut is wholly owned by Idlout, she testified that she has not been making any business operation decisions since 2014 and received no income from the art gallery “since before she was elected.” However, Mullin’s public LinkedIn profile indicates that he has worked at Carvings Nunavut as a purchasing manager since 2009. The investigation does not make note of this fact.
The Lobby Monitor contacted Idlout’s office for comment regarding the ruling and Mullin’s involvement with Carvings Nunavut. While the office provided a statement from Idlout, it did not address the publication’s inquiry.
“I regret my error in judgement. At the time, I did not consider that these purchases made for legitimate parliamentary purposes would further private interests, as I receive no income from the businesses in question,” reads part of the statement received on Sept. 2, 2026. “I have since learned from this experience and will continue to work closely with the Commissioner’s guidance going forward.”
As per the investigation, Idlout made five separate purchases—for which she then submitted claims for reimbursement from the House of Commons—at Carvings Nunavut Inc. between April 27, 2024, and Aug. 27, 2025.
The purchases made on April 27, 2024 were listed to have been acquired from a supplier called “Tumiit.” The investigation found that “Tumiit Plaza” is the name of the building where Carvings Nunavut Inc. is located in Iqaluit. The commissioner’s report also notes that the invoices from this purchase were nearly identical to the invoices from purchases made at Carvings Nunavut. Idlout claimed to have “no recollection in respect of this expense claim,” but she “undertook to provide any information and documents she could find in relation to it.”
Regarding the travel expenses, Idlout travelled to Igloolik on March 4, 2025, and rented three rooms for a single night for herself and two of her staffers. The commissioner found that Idlout’s staff attempted to find other accommodations but all other hotels were fully booked.
Idlout fully repaid the House of Commons for her four purchases at Carvings Nunavut on March 18, 2026, after a journalist contacted her on March 16, 2026, to inquire about the purchases. The MP also repaid the travel expenses and the Tumiit purchase on June 4, 2026, after the Ethics Commissioner’s office questioned Idlout about those reimbursement claims.
Von Finckenstein’s conclusion states that Idlout contravened section 8 of the Code. It concludes that Idlout did not take “all reasonable measures to prevent the non-compliances” nor were they “trivial, considering the number of times a non-compliance occurred.” Regardless, the commissioner recommended that sanctions would not be necessary as Idlout “made an error of judgment in good faith, which has been fully remedied.”
The Lobby Monitor contacted the office of Conservative MP John Brassard, chair of the House ethics committee, but did not receive a response by the publication deadline.
