Protests mount outside Liberal MP Michael Ma’s office after floor crossing
Voters are in revolt outside the office of MP Michael Ma after the Markham–Unionville representative defected last week, abandoning the Conservative caucus to join Mark Carney’s Liberals.
Voters are in revolt outside the office of MP Michael Ma after the Markham–Unionville representative defected last week, abandoning the Conservative caucus to join Mark Carney’s Liberals. Demonstrators accuse Ma of a major betrayal, while also raising red flags about foreign interference and data access.
Dozens of protesters have gathered outside Ma’s office in recent days, holding signs and chanting slogans critical of the floor crossing. The move brought the Liberal minority government within one seat of a majority in the House of Commons.
“We didn’t want unchecked Liberal policy forever — this is obviously a betrayal,” said one young protester during a demonstration this week.
Ma announced his decision on Dec. 11, stating he crossed the floor after hearing from constituents and citing confidence in Carney’s leadership. He was elected as a Conservative in the 2025 federal election and did not seek a byelection following the move, which is not required under parliamentary rules.
Some protesters said their anger extends beyond the floor crossing to broader concerns about democratic accountability and trust.
One Markham–Unionville resident said she became alarmed after receiving an invitation from Ma’s office to a meet-and-greet event that was later postponed following his defection.
“My concern is he has my email, he has my name, he has all my information, and now he is not a Conservative — he is a Liberal,” she said. “It is unethical now. He should return all his names and numbers and send it back to the party, and he should resign.”
The protests are also tied to lingering controversy in the Greater Toronto Area over allegations of Chinese foreign interference in Canadian politics. Demonstrators referenced earlier incidents in the region involving Liberal candidates and Chinese-language media.
During the 2025 election campaign, the Liberal candidate originally nominated in Markham–Unionville, Paul Chiang, withdrew after suggesting to a Chinese media outlet that Conservative candidate Joe Tay could be turned in to the Chinese consulate for a bounty.
Chiang’s replacement, Peter Yuen, later faced scrutiny after footage surfaced of him singing Chinese Communist Party propaganda songs while wearing a Toronto police uniform. Yuen finished second in the riding, trailing Ma by just over three percentage points.
Joe Tay, the Conservative candidate in Don Valley North, who has said he was targeted by organizations linked to the Chinese Communist Party, is expected to stage a protest on Saturday calling for Ma to resign.
Ma’s defection followed a similar move weeks earlier by Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont, also a former Conservative.