Ontario Premier Doug Ford has stated that he was not informed until Wednesday about the Progressive Conservative Party’s expenditure on allegedly surveilling former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. According to reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER, the provincial party purportedly utilized nearly $3,000 from donor and taxpayer funds to stay at two luxurious resorts in Jamaica with the intention of monitoring Bonnie Crombie as part of their opposition research efforts. This information was disclosed by anonymous sources familiar with the operation.
The alleged surveillance reportedly occurred six days following Crombie’s victory in the Liberal leadership race in December 2023 while she was on a brief vacation in Jamaica. The claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER have not been independently confirmed by CBC News. However, the Ontario PC Party released a statement acknowledging that like other political parties, they conduct opposition research, which in this case involved a trip to Jamaica in December 2023.
During an unrelated press briefing on Thursday, Ford expressed disapproval of the purported spying and revealed that he addressed the party after learning about the allegations. He clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which are partially derived from taxpayer money through per-vote subsidies in Ontario.
Ford emphasized that incidents like these are not uncommon in politics, likening the trip to media coverage of his travels to the U.S. when reporters follow him. When questioned about his awareness of the incident absolving him of responsibility, Ford highlighted that he relies on his team to ensure proper spending and does not scrutinize every dollar during campaign periods.
Former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the accusations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica in December 2023, staying at one of the resorts mentioned in the PC party’s 2023 financial report. The financial statement obtained by CBC News from the NDP showed expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and the Royalton Negril Hotel without specific details on the nature of the spending at the latter.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, condemned the alleged espionage as inappropriate and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized the use of public funds for such activities, calling for accountability within the party. Fraser demanded answers from Ford regarding the surveillance operation and questioned the extent to which political opponents are targeted using taxpayer money.