By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Nunavut MP Lori Idlout was one of four abstentions during the federal budget vote on Nov. 17, and those abstentions were pivotal to allowing the budget to pass by a vote of 170-168, thus avoiding a federal election. Idlout said Nunavummiut told her that promises made in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget were worth securing, despite some of her objections. Commitments to build 700 residences in Nunavut through Build Canada Homes, $50 million for Inuit Nunangat University from the Build Communities Strong Fund, developments from the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, and the Urban Rural Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy convinced Idlout to abstain rather than oppose the budget. However, the Nunavut MP still condemned parts of the Liberal minority government’s spending…
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