Ontario MP Michael Ma announced Thursday that he is leaving the Conservative caucus and joining the Liberals.
ICYMI, Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney is now just one seat in Parliament away from having a majority government.
12 months ago the Liberals were in terrible shape. Some polls had them struggling for second place with the NDP. Conservatives were expected to win easily by a landslide at the next election.
Then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned and the Liberals chose Carney to replace him. Carney called an election in April which saw the Liberals flip 17 seats. But this still left them 3 short of a majority. So since spring, they have had a minority government.
But a majority government for Mark Carney has been getting tantalizingly close. In early November, MP Chris d’Entremont (Acadie--Annapolis) quit the Conservatives and walked across the aisle to join the Liberal caucus. Among other things, d’Entremont cited a toxic atmosphere among the Conservative leadership. And late last week, MP Michael Ma (Markham-Unionville) followed in d’Entremont's footsteps.
Ontario MP Michael Ma announced Thursday that he is leaving the Conservative caucus and joining the Liberals. Ma said in a statement that he made the decision after listening to his constituents in the riding of Markham-Unionville in the Greater Toronto Area. "This is a time for unity and decisive action for Canada's future," he wrote. "In that spirit, I have concluded that Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering the steady, practical approach we need to deliver on the priorities I hear every day while door-knocking in Markham-Unionville." A Liberal source told CBC News that Ma met with Carney Thursday afternoon before announcing that he would join the government caucus. [ ... ] Rumours swirled in the days following d'Entremont's defection that more Conservatives would follow the Nova Scotia MP — but none had switched sides until Ma.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sometimes comes across like Trump with a tuque. And that includes his personal style.
Further south, we in the United States should keep an eye on the House of Representatives. Republicans control the chamber by a narrow margin. Some dissident Republicans have been using discharge petitions in cooperation with Democrats to get around Trump toady Speaker Mike Johnson. The House probably won't change hands before the midterms; but Republicans are increasingly alarmed that in special elections, there have been swings to Democrats of 10 to 15 percent. 2026 will be a more interesting year than usual for House watchers.
