MP Michael Ma speaks at the Liberal caucus holiday party on Thursday after crossing the floor from the Conservatives. Ma is the second Conservative MP to leave the caucus for the governing party since the federal election.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Another Conservative member of Parliament has crossed the floor to the Liberal government, putting it one seat shy of a majority.
Ontario MP Michael Ma announced his decision to join Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority caucus in a statement Thursday evening, saying he wanted to focus on solutions, not division.
Mr. Ma is the second Conservative to cross in recent weeks. Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont joined the Liberals in November, citing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s leadership style. The Liberals now have 171 seats out of 343.
The loss of another MP will be a blow to Mr. Poilievre. After failing to defeat the Liberals in the April election, he now faces a leadership review at a party convention in January.
But it is a boon to Mr. Carney, who welcomed Mr. Ma onto the stage with open arms at the Liberal holiday party Thursday night.
Liberals, Carney celebrate holiday party by welcoming MP from Conservatives into their caucus.
The Canadian Press
Even with Mr. Ma, who represents Markham-Unionville, the Liberals will still require the co-operation of other parties to pass legislation. But one more floor-crossing would give them control of the House.
Just hours after announcing his decision, Mr. Ma smiled widely as he addressed hundreds of Liberals.
“Wow, such a big welcome,” Mr. Ma said, as he clasped hands with Mr. Carney in a victory pose. Mr. Carney addressed both Mr. Ma and Mr. d’Entremont in his remarks.
“You are going to have a much better time spending Christmas with us than Christmas with the cranks,” Mr. Carney said.
Mr. Ma was elected for the first time in April. He said Mr. Carney is offering a steady, practical approach to deliver on the priorities he hears in his riding.
“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 said in his statement.
“I look forward to working with Prime Minister Carney to make sure that Markham–Unionville, and all of Canada, can move forward with confidence and build a stronger, safer and more prosperous future.”
Ma's floor crossing makes it easier for the Liberals to win votes in the House.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
After leaving the stage Thursday night, Mr. Ma was seated next to Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, who represents the riding next to his.
A source familiar with Mr. Ma’s recruitment said he and the minister had dinner recently, and Mr. Hodgson was involved in getting him to join the Liberals.
The Globe and Mail is not naming the source as they were not authorized to discuss the matter.
Ontario Liberal MP Judy Sgro called the news of a new Liberal colleague “wonderful.”
“He’s putting our country first, because this is not about party right now,” she said on her way into the event.
“This is about protecting our country and moving forward. And having Michael come forward means that he understands the importance of being a Canadian and our country.”
Mr. Ma won the riding with nearly 2,000 more votes than the second-place Liberal candidate, Peter Yuen, who received 47.1-per-cent support.
Another Conservative MP, Matt Jeneroux, announced this fall that he is leaving politics. Mr. Jeneroux’s decision followed days of rumours that he was also considering crossing the floor.
Mr. Poilievre responded to Mr. Ma’s departure with a statement on X.
“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,” he said.
“Today, he chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose. The same policies driving up food prices and making life more expensive for all. 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.”
Some Conservative MPs responded online by criticizing the fact that Mr. Ma posed for pictures with Mr. Poilievre the night before at the Conservative Christmas party.
Greg MacEachern, principal at KAN strategies and a former Liberal staffer, said the obvious impact of Mr. Ma’s decision is the fact that the Liberals are now one seat closer to a majority.
But, he said, Mr. Ma’s move appearing to come as a surprise in Ottawa was notable after the drama around Mr. d’Entremont and Mr. Jeneroux’s own political decisions.
“This is just a huge thunderclap politically,” he said.
Without a formal partner in the minority Parliament, the Liberals have struggled to move priority bills through the House of Commons. They also face regular battles in committee, where they are outnumbered and not able to control the agenda.
The government was able to secure support for its budget last month thanks to a combination of a small number of Conservative and NDP MPs not voting and support from the lone Green Party MP, Elizabeth May, illustrating the precarious nature of its hold on power.
The latest floor crossing makes it easier for the Liberals to win votes, either with Ms. May’s support or with a handful of abstentions from other parties.