Questioned by reporters the morning after MP Michael Ma left the Conservatives to join the Liberal caucus, MacKinnon said a handful of Conservatives have shared their frustrations with Liberals privately. Several Conservatives have publicly denounced Ma's floor crossing.

"All of my colleagues here have the same experience of speaking to Conservative members, unfortunately a group which is in the minority in their group, who are extremely frustrated with the leadership of their party," MacKinnon said at a high-speed rail announcement in Gatineau, Que.

"Look, they realize, like we do, that we're at a turning point. They realize, like we do, that we're in a trade war and that serious solutions are required. And they are required every day to go through this charade of obstruction."

MacKinnon said this obstruction is evident in the "soul destroying" practice of Conservative MPs repeating the same question "40 times a day" during question period.

The Liberals issued a press release Thursday evening announcing Ma's surprise departure from the Conservative caucus, just one day after he'd attended the Conservative Christmas party and posed for a photo alongside leader Pierre Poilievre.

About an hour after the statement was released, Ma appeared at the Liberal Christmas party, where Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced him as the party's newest member to a standing ovation.

Jamie Ellerton, principal at Conaptus and a Conservative strategist, said that while MacKinnon's comments are politically motivated and are meant to set "a cat among the pigeons," there is a very real sense of betrayal among Conservative MPs.

"I think what it also potentially does is it chips away a trust amongst caucus members. People are less certain that people are being straight-shooters when they're talking, and it creates increasingly difficult caucus management dynamics," Ellerton said.

Ma was first elected in April, winning the Greater Toronto Area riding of Markham—Unionville by about 1,900 votes.

Ma said little from the stage on Thursday, except to issue holiday greetings and wishes for "a great 2026 coming to all of you."

In his statement, Ma indicated he made the decision after hearing from constituents and consulting with his family. He said he believes Carney offers "the steady, practical approach we need to deliver on the priorities I hear every day while door knocking in Markham—Unionville."

The move puts the Liberals at 171 seats, one shy of a majority government, after Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont also defected from the Conservative ranks last month. The Conservatives dropped to 142 MPs, the Bloc Québécois have 22, the NDP has seven and the Green Party has one.

Health Minister Marjorie Michel said in an interview with The Canadian Press Friday there may be some in the Liberal caucus who are actively pushing for a majority.

"When you are a majority government and specifically in that context, it would be easier for a government to achieve their plan, not having to think every single time, 'Are we going to run into an election next month?' Because this is the reality," she said. 

Michel added that she did not personally know Ma or d'Entremont before they joined the Liberals.

With a razor-thin margin between a minority and a majority, the calculations for passing legislation and surviving confidence votes can be complicated. The Liberals may have 171 seats now but one of them is held by Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, who would only vote in the event of a tie.

If all MPs voted, the Liberals would need one opposition MP to vote with them to get to a tie with 171 votes on each side — which would allow the Speaker to vote in order to break the tie.

Alternatively, they would need two opposition MPs to abstain from the vote — which would generate a split of 170 votes on each side which would be broken by Scarpaleggia casting a ballot.

MacKinnon said he wouldn't speculate on whether the Liberals will court more MPs to cross the floor to secure a majority.

"You've seen two to date … Others exist, but as I said, it's an incredibly personal and in many cases disruptive decision that a person has to make, after in some cases spending decades or years of active involvement in the Conservative party," he said.

Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux was rumoured to be considering following d'Entremont to the Liberal bench, but instead he announced plans to resign as MP in the new year. Jeneroux has not voted since he made that announcement.

Poilievre said on social media Thursday night Ma was elected to oppose the Liberal policies he is now endorsing.

"The people he let down the most are the ones who elected him to fight for an affordable future," he wrote. "He will have to answer to them."

Several other Conservative MPs issued similar statements criticizing Ma for crossing the floor after dancing at the Conservative Christmas party and taking part in the Secret Santa gift exchange.

"I gave him an Amazon Fire Stick just hours before he crossed the floor," Ontario Conservative MP Kurt Holman posted on X Friday morning. "Now I want my gift back, just like the people of Markham—Unionville want their votes back!"

Poilievre faces a leadership review at the party's convention in Calgary at the end of January. Thursday afternoon, before Ma's decision was made public, Poilievre said he was very confident he will survive that vote.

Ellerton said that he's seen no evidence that anyone is mobilizing a campaign to oust Poilievre and he expects the Conservative leader will pass his review. 

He added, however, that the loss of another Conservative MP could raise leadership questions in the minds of Canadians who don't follow partisan politics. 

"I think it reinforces that frame in terms of trust of leadership and character on that leadership question," Ellerton said.

"Any time people see a headline that the leader of the opposition's lost an MP to cross the floor and go and join the Liberals, it just raises questions in people's mind as to what's going on in Conservative ranks."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2025.

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