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On December 2, 2025, the Markham–Unionville MP rose in the House to call the Liberals "team asset inflation," "team rentier economy," and "team feudalism." Nine days later, he was one of them. He has admitted he was "truly a Conservative" the night before he crossed.
Conservative MP Michael Ma crossed the floor to Mark Carney’s Liberals on December 11, 2025 — nine days after a Hansard speech in which he attacked the Liberal record on housing, productivity, and economic governance, calling them "team feudalism." He has since admitted he was "truly a Conservative" at the Conservative Christmas party the night before he crossed. A constituent petition calling for his resignation has reportedly gathered tens of thousands of signatures.
On December 2, 2025, Conservative MP Michael Ma rose in the House of Commons during budget debate. CPAC's video record and Ma's own website carry the speech.
His own words on the Liberal economic record: "team asset inflation," "team rentier economy," and "team feudalism." He said "The Liberals do not believe in a productive economy that works for hard-working Canadians."
Two weeks earlier, on November 18, 2025, Ma had risen on Bill C-14 to attack the Liberal record on crime, saying the government "cater[s] to common criminals" and demanding the repeal of Liberal-passed Bill C-5 and Bill C-75.
Both speeches are in Hansard.
On Thursday, December 11, 2025, Ma announced he was crossing the floor to the Liberals. He attended the Liberal holiday party in Gatineau the same evening.
His stated reasons, per Global News: Carney's "steady, practical approach" and "unity and decisive action for Canada's future." He said he could deliver more for constituents as a government MP.
The CBC reported the move made the Liberals one seat short of a majority — and made Ma the second Conservative to cross to Carney's caucus, after Chris d'Entremont's November 4 defection.
BNN Bloomberg reported Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson had hosted Ma for dinner and was instrumental in the recruitment.
In a December 18, 2025 interview, Ma was pressed on the optics of attending the Conservative Christmas party — and posing for photos with Pierre Poilievre — the night before he announced his crossing.
His own answer, per CP24: "The night I attended the Conservative (Christmas) party, I was truly a Conservative member, and really an MP… I had not made a decision at that point."
The defence is unusual. Most floor-crossers describe a deliberation that takes weeks. Ma's public account is that the decision crystallized in less than 24 hours.
A January 3, 2026 town hall in Markham–Unionville, covered by Rebel News, drew hundreds of constituents and former staffers. Former Ma staffer Deepak Talreja told the room he had not worked for Ma personally — "It was the party."
CBC has reported that a constituent petition demanding Ma's resignation has gathered approximately 37,000 signatures (figures vary across coverage; earliest Rebel News reporting cited ~9,348). Ma has not addressed the petition or indicated he will face a byelection.
Ma served as a director of the Chinese Canadian Conservative Association in 2019, an organization named in a Jamestown Foundation report on overseas United Front activity. The Bureau, a Canadian investigative outlet, has reported on the connection — explicitly noting "no allegation or evidence that Ma himself was acting under United Front motivations."
In March 2026, Ma drew controversy at the Industry Committee for questioning witness Margaret McCuaig-Johnston on whether her testimony about Shenzhen forced labour was "hearsay." McCuaig-Johnston told reporters Ma was "trying to undermine" her testimony.
Background: Ma was born in Hong Kong, immigrated to Canada at age 12, and holds a BSc in Computer Science from UBC and an MBA from the University of South Australia. He ran unsuccessfully in Don Valley East in 2019 before winning Markham–Unionville for the Conservatives in April 2025.
The Acadie–Annapolis MP crossed the floor on the morning of the 2025 federal budget, after losing his Deputy Speaker salary top-up. Democracy Watch asked the Ethics Commissioner to investigate whether the lost income was a financial motive. The Commissioner declined.
The Edmonton Riverbend MP said his "focus must turn entirely to my family" when announcing his resignation in November 2025. Fourteen weeks later, he kept his seat and joined the Liberals — getting a Special Advisor role and foreign trips with the Prime Minister within weeks.
In a January 11 interview with the Petrolia Lambton Independent, the Sarnia-Lambton MP said constituents "deserve a chance to have a redo" when their MP switches parties. Three months later, she joined the Liberals — and has not called a byelection.
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<h1>Nine Days Before Joining the Liberals, Michael Ma Called Them "Team Feudalism" in Parliament</h1>
<p><em>By Parliament Audit · April 19, 2026 · 5 min read</em></p>
<p><strong>Conservative MP Michael Ma crossed the floor to Mark Carney’s Liberals on December 11, 2025 — nine days after a Hansard speech in which he attacked the Liberal record on housing, productivity, and economic governance, calling them "team feudalism." He has since admitted he was "truly a Conservative" at the Conservative Christmas party the night before he crossed. A constituent petition calling for his resignation has reportedly gathered tens of thousands of signatures.</strong></p>
<h2>December 2: "Team Feudalism"</h2>
<p>On December 2, 2025, Conservative MP Michael Ma rose in the House of Commons during budget debate. CPAC's video record and Ma's own website carry the speech.</p>
<p>His own words on the Liberal economic record: "team asset inflation," "team rentier economy," and "team feudalism." He said "The Liberals do not believe in a productive economy that works for hard-working Canadians."</p>
<p>Two weeks earlier, on November 18, 2025, Ma had risen on Bill C-14 to attack the Liberal record on crime, saying the government "cater[s] to common criminals" and demanding the repeal of Liberal-passed Bill C-5 and Bill C-75.</p>
<p>Both speeches are in Hansard.</p>
<h2>December 11: The Floor Crossing</h2>
<p>On Thursday, December 11, 2025, Ma announced he was crossing the floor to the Liberals. He attended the Liberal holiday party in Gatineau the same evening.</p>
<p>His stated reasons, per Global News: Carney's "steady, practical approach" and "unity and decisive action for Canada's future." He said he could deliver more for constituents as a government MP.</p>
<p>The CBC reported the move made the Liberals one seat short of a majority — and made Ma the second Conservative to cross to Carney's caucus, after Chris d'Entremont's November 4 defection.</p>
<p>BNN Bloomberg reported Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson had hosted Ma for dinner and was instrumental in the recruitment.</p>
<h2>"Truly a Conservative" — The Night Before</h2>
<p>In a December 18, 2025 interview, Ma was pressed on the optics of attending the Conservative Christmas party — and posing for photos with Pierre Poilievre — the night before he announced his crossing.</p>
<p>His own answer, per CP24: "The night I attended the Conservative (Christmas) party, I was truly a Conservative member, and really an MP… I had not made a decision at that point."</p>
<p>The defence is unusual. Most floor-crossers describe a deliberation that takes weeks. Ma's public account is that the decision crystallized in less than 24 hours.</p>
<h2>Constituent Response</h2>
<p>A January 3, 2026 town hall in Markham–Unionville, covered by Rebel News, drew hundreds of constituents and former staffers. Former Ma staffer Deepak Talreja told the room he had not worked for Ma personally — "It was the party."</p>
<p>CBC has reported that a constituent petition demanding Ma's resignation has gathered approximately 37,000 signatures (figures vary across coverage; earliest Rebel News reporting cited ~9,348). Ma has not addressed the petition or indicated he will face a byelection.</p>
<h2>Other Items in the Public Record</h2>
<p>Ma served as a director of the Chinese Canadian Conservative Association in 2019, an organization named in a Jamestown Foundation report on overseas United Front activity. The Bureau, a Canadian investigative outlet, has reported on the connection — explicitly noting "no allegation or evidence that Ma himself was acting under United Front motivations."</p>
<p>In March 2026, Ma drew controversy at the Industry Committee for questioning witness Margaret McCuaig-Johnston on whether her testimony about Shenzhen forced labour was "hearsay." McCuaig-Johnston told reporters Ma was "trying to undermine" her testimony.</p>
<p>Background: Ma was born in Hong Kong, immigrated to Canada at age 12, and holds a BSc in Computer Science from UBC and an MBA from the University of South Australia. He ran unsuccessfully in Don Valley East in 2019 before winning Markham–Unionville for the Conservatives in April 2025.</p>
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