Conservative MP Michael Ma, who represents the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville, is crossing the floor to the Liberal Party, according to a statement released Thursday night.
Ma, who was first elected in this year’s federal election, now brings the Liberals one seat shy of a majority with 171 seats.
“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. This is a time for unity and decisive action for Canada’s future,” he writes.
In his statement, Ma also says Carney is “offering the steady, practical approach” needed “to deliver on the priorities I hear every day,” which he says includes affordability and the economy.
According to a post by Conservative MP Todd Doherty, Ma attended the Conservative Party Christmas party on Wednesday night and posed in a photo with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Ma is the third MP since November to leave Conservative ranks.
Hours after the federal budget on Nov. 4, Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont defected to the Liberals, saying he no longer “aligned with the ideals of what the leader of the Opposition had been talking about.”
That same week, Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux was rumoured to be crossing the floor until he announced he would be resigning from the Conservative Party next spring.
At the time, two sources told CTV News that Jeneroux had conversations with senior staffers from Carney’s office in early November and following that meeting, the impression among all those involved was that Jeneroux would be crossing the floor.
Amid that speculation, a source close to Jeneroux told CTV News that Conservative Party officials made it known to him that there would be consequences if he did floor cross, which ultimately led to his decision to resign.
Ma ‘will have to answer’ to constituents: Poilievre
In a post on X, Poilievre said Ma “chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose.”
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.
Today, he chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose. The same policies driving up…
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) December 12, 2025
“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,” he added.
Poilievre is set to face a leadership review at the end of January in Calgary.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Thursday, Poilievre was asked if he is confident that he will get a good number in that review, and he simply answered “very.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with CTV Question Period back in September, Poilievre said there is not a specific level of support he is looking to secure in that leadership review.
“No, I don’t believe in magic,” Poilievre said when asked if he has a “magic number” in mind.