Toronto-area Conservative MP Michael Ma crosses floor to Liberals
OTTAWA — New Toronto-area Conservative MP Michael Ma has crossed the floor to the Liberals in a stunning political move just hours after the end of the fall Parliamentary session.
Ma’s floor crossing was announced via a statement sent by the Liberal Party on Thursday afternoon.
“After listening carefully to the people of Markham–Unionville in recent weeks and reflecting with my family on the direction of our country, I have informed the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition that I will be joining Prime Minister Mark Carney in the government caucus,” Ma said in a statement.
Ma’s crossing brings the minority Liberal government to 171 seats, further consolidating Carney’s power in the House of Commons and bringing the Liberals within one seat of forming a majority.
But it’s also a major blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is left reeling from losing two MPs (including Chris d’Entremont in early November) to the Liberals within five weeks all the while facing down the barrel of a January leadership review.
Ma’s move was met with shock and surprise by his former Conservative colleagues, with one source describing it as coming “out of nowhere” and a “gut punch.”
Two hours after announcing his move to the Liberals, Ma was given a standing ovation by party faithful as he was introduced by Prime Minister Mark Carney to hundreds of attendees of the Liberals’ Christmas party in Ottawa.
“Wow, such a big welcome,” a smiling Ma said to the roaring crowd. “All I want to say is merry Christmas, happy holidays and a great 2026 coming to all of you,” he added before walking off stage.
A jubilant Carney promised both Ma and d’Entremont they would have a better time spending Christmas with the Liberals than the “cranks” in opposition.
He then joked there could be more floor-crossing MPs to come. “The year’s not over, that’s all I’m saying,” he said with a smirk.
If Ma had been pondering the move for a while, he covered his tracks well.
Just the day before his crossing, Ma attended the Conservatives’ Christmas party, posing for a photo with Poilievre and his wife, Anaida, and hitting the dance floor.
This is Michael Ma at the Conservative Christmas party Wednesday night. Today he's crossed the floor. https://t.co/i0k4cXdUtE
— Karen K ???????? ???????? (@Shareme23) December 12, 2025
The day before, he voted twice with his former caucus on a Conservative motion on pipeline construction.
Earlier in the month, he delivered multiple speeches lambasting the Liberals’ 2025 budget, going so far as calling the Liberals “team feudalism”.
“While over two million Canadians visit food banks each month and 700,000 of those are kids, the Liberals work every day to inflate asset prices, whether through deficit spending or by letting any warm body pass into the country to keep those rents sky-high,” he said on Dec. 2 in what would be his final speech in the House of Commons as a Conservative.
Nine days later, he said in his statement that he was joining the Liberals because Prime Minister Mark Carney’s priorities aligned with his and those of his constituents in Markham–Unionville.
“That includes making life more affordable, growing a strong Canadian economy, strengthening community safety, and creating real opportunities for young people and families who are working hard to build their Canadian dream,” he wrote.
Michael Ma was elected as a Conservative by the constituents of Markham-Unionville to fight against Liberal inflationary spending driving up the cost of living in his community.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) December 12, 2025
Today, he chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose. The same policies driving up…
Poilievre posted on X that Ma had chosen to “endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose.”
“The people he let down the most are the ones who elected him to fight for an affordable future. He will have to answer to them.”
Ma was not well known within Conservative party circles before running in the last election. He narrowly captured the riding for the Conservatives from the Liberals by winning nearly 51 per cent of the vote, as compared to 47 per cent.
Ma recently appeared alongside fellow Conservative MPs Garnett Genuis and Chak Au, at an event in Vancouver, according to photos Genuis shared on Facebook, to speak to members of the Chinese community.
Ma was appointed to run under the Conservative banner back in March, the same day Carney called the spring election.
Michael Ma at the Conservative Christmas Party last night with Pierre Poilievre. pic.twitter.com/P0ovqX65LP
— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) December 12, 2025
Just last month, Poilievre lost another one of his MPs, Chris d’Entremont, to the Liberals.
At the time, senior members of his leadership team chalked d’Entremont’s move up to sour grapes over not being supported in his efforts to become House of Commons speaker.
Given the shock around Ma’s departure, explaining away a second floor crossing will be more complicated.
d’Entremont, at the time of crossing, hinted that some of his former colleagues could join him and said his decision was rooted in wanting to try to improve the country, “not to continue to be negative.”
Around his departure, Edmonton Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux was speculated to be considering joining the Liberals, with sources telling National Post he had met with Carney. He ultimately did not and announced his intention to resign his seat.
National Post
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