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On Saturday, January 3, Markham—Unionville residents gathered for a town hall meeting to address the betrayal by their Member of Parliament, Michael Ma, following his decision to cross the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals. The meeting brought together former campaign volunteers, Conservative candidates, and a former staff member from Ma’s office.

Several speakers emphasized that Ma had been elected explicitly as a Conservative and that voters had not authorized a change in political allegiance. One constituent addressed the issue bluntly, stating that Ma no longer represented those who voted for him and had disrespected the integrity of their vote. “And to Michael Ma, I take back my vote. You do not represent me. You will not disrespect our sacred vote and think nothing of it.”

A disgruntled constituent of Markham-Unionville has a message for Michael Ma:

“And to Michael Ma, I take back my vote. You do not represent me. You are a total joke and you are a clown and I did not vote for a clown. You will not disrespect our sacred vote and think nothing of… pic.twitter.com/XeWGoinEQn

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) January 3, 2026

Lionel Loganathan, the Conservative candidate of record for the neighbouring riding of Markham—Thornhill, told attendees that Ma had been thoroughly vetted prior to the election and that nothing in his background suggested he would abandon the party after being elected. “On paper, he was a great candidate. . . but there’s one thing a background check cannot detect. It cannot detect issues of the soul.”

Loganathan later told Rebel News that the response from residents reflected more than frustration. He described the reaction in Markham—Unionville as a sustained grassroots effort to push back against a politically opportunistic decision, “I’m so happy to see a grassroots movement, to organize and to rally around this and to push back against Michael’s decision.”

Joe Tay, the Conservative candidate of record for Don Valley North, has been present at protests outside Ma’s constituency office since the floor-crossing. Tay said the movement has continued to grow, noting that momentum has increased as constituents remain organized and vocal, “I think the momentum is getting louder and louder now.”

Former Ma staffer Deepak Talreja also addressed the crowd, describing the personal sacrifices made while working on the campaign. He stressed that his efforts were not for an individual candidate, but for the Conservative Party and the principles it represents. “It was not him I was only working for. It was the party,” Talreja said.

While floor-crossing is not unprecedented in Canada, Ma’s decision carries national implications. Conservatives who voted in April did not vote for a Liberal majority government, yet Ma’s move leaves the Liberals only one seat shy of a majority. The town hall made it clear that the backlash is not fading, but is a consistent and organized grassroots response aimed at holding their MP accountable.