A first-term New Democrat MP is a federal supplier whose firm has been awarded almost a half million in contracts since her election in 2021. MP Lori Idlout (Nunavut) in a mandatory disclosure said she was a major shareholder in a company with ties to an ex-Liberal cabinet minister, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“I informed my staff not to seek training offered by NVision as I hold a significant ownership interest in this company,” Idlout wrote in a new filing with the Ethics Commissioner. The disclosure was mandatory under the Conflict Of Interest Code..NVision Insight Group Inc. is an Ottawa-based company selling indigenous sensitivity training courses. Idlout in a statement posted on her LinkedIn page called herself the owner of the company..The Nunavut lawyer was first elected an MP on September 20, 2021. Since her election NVision received $454,250 in federal contracts including sole-sourced awards. Payments for courses offered to government employees were:.• $324,030 last Sept. 27 from the Public Prosecution Service;• $24,840 last July 15 from the RCMP Civilian Review and Complaints Commission;• $39,840 last March 21 from the Department of Natural Resources;• $10,170 on Jan. 14, 2022 from the Department of Employment;• $39,787 on Nov. 30, 2021 from the Department of Gender Equity;• $15,583 on Nov. 19, 2021 from the Department of Canadian Heritage..NVision Insight Group executives include Victor Tootoo, brother of former Liberal fisheries minister Hunter Tootoo. The elder Tootoo resigned from cabinet in 2016 after admitting to a drinking problem and an “inappropriate relationship” with an employee. Afterwards, the Liberal Party lost Tootoo’s Nunavut riding to the New Democrats..NVision prior to the 2021 election received 17 federal contracts in four years for a total $508,732. “This is a highly specialized training program,” the Department of Agriculture said in hiring NVision to conduct “cultural literacy” workshops. “It is believed no other organizations have the experience delivering this type of training.”.In the agriculture department’s case NVision was paid $32,668 to conduct six-hour training sessions for employees “on cultural literacy and intercultural intelligence when engaging with Indigenous peoples.” The training program entitled The Path: Your Journey Through Indigenous Awareness And Literacy included videos, quizzes and “lively and engaging” animation, according an NVision statement..“There are many stereotypes out there about indigenous people but they are just that, stereotypes or ill-informed perceptions,” said a Your Journey video..“Whether it’s a drunk on the street, a wise elder, the Indian princess, a road-blocking warrior or someone on welfare on a reserve, this course will help you see beyond these stereotypes to the real stories, because Indigenous people do have their own stories, and they don’t begin with the word Indian.”
