Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon says more Conservative MPs may be considering leaving the party following the defection of Ontario MP Michael Ma, the second Conservative to cross the floor to the Liberals in recent weeks.MacKinnon, who also serves as Minister of Transport, made the comments Friday morning after Ma announced Thursday that he was joining the Liberal caucus. Ma later appeared onstage with Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Liberal Party’s holiday event in Ottawa.“There are others, that is for sure,” MacKinnon said, referring to Conservative MPs he said were frustrated with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s leadership. He did not name any individuals..MacKinnon said Liberals have heard privately from Conservative MPs who are unhappy with what he described as obstructionist tactics by the opposition during a period of heightened trade tensions with the United States. He said some Conservative MPs believe their constituents support the Liberal government’s current approach.Earlier Thursday, before Ma publicly crossed the floor, MacKinnon said Conservative MPs had been approaching him to say voters in their ridings were responding positively to Liberal policies and governance.“Some of them are smart people, upstanding people, and they’re going to make it known that they are dissatisfied,” MacKinnon said.Ma’s decision gives the Liberals 171 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons, one short of a majority. A party requires 172 seats to govern without relying on support from other parties..When asked whether the Liberals expect further defections that could give them a majority before Parliament resumes in late January, MacKinnon declined to speculate, saying crossing the floor is a deeply personal decision that can be complex and disruptive.Prime Minister Mark Carney appeared to hint at the possibility of additional developments while addressing supporters Thursday night, joking that the party had welcomed “over 300,000 — and one — new Liberals,” before adding that “the year’s not over.”Ma, who represents Markham–Unionville, was elected for the first time in April with 50.7% of the vote. In his announcement, he said Carney offered a steady and practical approach aligned with priorities he hears from constituents..Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Ma’s decision in a statement on social media, saying the MP had chosen to support policies he was elected to oppose and would need to answer to voters for the move.Several Conservative MPs also questioned why Ma attended the Conservative Party’s Christmas event the night before his announcement, including posing for photos with Poilievre.The defection follows that of Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont, who joined the Liberals in November, also citing concerns with Poilievre’s leadership style. The departures come weeks before Poilievre is scheduled to face a leadership review in January.
