Ontario MP Michael Ma announced Thursday that he is leaving the Conservative caucus to join the governing Liberals, a move that brings Prime Minister Mark Carney’s party to within one seat of a majority government.
In a statement, Ma said his decision was shaped by conversations with constituents in Markham–Unionville, arguing the country needs unity and decisive leadership at a critical moment.
“This is a time for unity and decisive action for Canada’s future,” Ma said. “Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering the steady, practical approach we need to deliver on the priorities I hear every day while door-knocking in Markham–Unionville.”
A Liberal source told the media that Ma met with Carney earlier Thursday before publicly announcing his decision to cross the floor.
Ma’s defection follows a similar move by Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont several weeks ago and further narrows the gap for the Liberals, who now sit just one seat shy of a majority in the House of Commons.
Carney formally introduced Ma at the Liberal caucus holiday party in Ottawa on Thursday night, drawing attention to the growing size of his caucus.
“Some of you — and I salute you — have been Liberals your whole life,” Carney said. “Some may have just joined our party — like literally just joined our party,” he added, before bringing Ma on stage. Ma received a standing ovation and briefly addressed the crowd with holiday greetings.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre quickly criticized the move, accusing Ma of abandoning the platform on which he was elected. In a post on social media, Poilievre said Ma had been chosen by voters to oppose Liberal spending policies he argued were driving up the cost of living.
“Today, he chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose,” Poilievre wrote, adding that Ma would have to answer to voters for his decision.
Conservative MP Todd Doherty also weighed in, posting a photo showing Ma alongside Poilievre at what appeared to be a Conservative holiday gathering the night before the defection.
Ma was first elected in April, winning just over 50 per cent of the vote in Markham–Unionville. The riding had previously been held by Liberal MP Paul Chiang, who withdrew from the race earlier this year after controversial remarks about a Conservative candidate. Ma defeated Chiang’s replacement, Peter Yuen, by roughly three percentage points.
Speculation had grown following d’Entremont’s departure that more Conservatives could follow suit, though Ma is the first to do so since that initial defection.
There had also been rumours that Alberta Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux might cross the floor, but he instead announced in early November that he would leave federal politics altogether. While Jeneroux has not formally resigned, he has not voted since making that announcement. Both Conservative and Liberal sources confirmed he met with Carney around that time, though Jeneroux has said his decision to exit politics was not influenced by pressure from any party.
