MPs joining Liberals don’t like Tory ‘games’ under Poilievre: MacKinnon

Steve MacKinnon said the group tiring of Pierre Poilievre's 'obstructionist' approach is 'sizable' but wouldn't speculate on whether any more of them will cross the floor.

The addition of ex-Conservative MP Michael Ma to the Liberal caucus is further proof that some members of the Opposition are “extremely frustrated” with the “silly games” being played by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, government House leader Steve MacKinnon said Friday.

MacKinnon, speaking at a funding announcement in Gatineau, Que., added that the group tiring of Poilievre’s “obstructionist” approach is “sizable” but wouldn’t speculate on whether any more of them will cross the floor.

“These are incredibly hard choices for those people to make,” he told reporters.

“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. But they don’t like the turn. There are lots of Conservatives, I do assure you, who do not like this Poilievre approach.”

Ma announced Thursday night that he was joining the Liberal caucus, becoming the second MP to cross from the Conservatives since Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election victory in April. The defection puts the Liberals one seat away from a functional majority.

Later that evening at the Liberal holiday party in Gatineau, Carney introduced and welcomed Ma, along with the other recent former Conservative floor crosser, Chris d’Entremont, as the party’s newest members.

“You are going to have a much better time spending Christmas with us than with the Kranks,” Carney said.

Poilievre said Thursday night that Ma “chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose” and will “have to answer” to his constituents.