Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of his Progressive Conservative Party allocating funds to purportedly monitor former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her trip to Jamaica in 2023. According to reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER, the party allegedly spent close to $3,000 from donors and taxpayers on stays at two luxury resorts in Jamaica in an effort to surveil Crombie as part of opposition research. The information was attributed to undisclosed sources familiar with the operation.
The supposed surveillance occurred shortly after Crombie’s victory in the Liberal leadership race in December 2023, while she was enjoying a brief vacation in Jamaica, as per The Trillium and POLICORNER. CBC News has not independently verified the details as reported by The Trillium and POLICORNER.
In response to the allegations, the Ontario PC Party issued a statement affirming that like other political entities, they engage in opposition research, which in this instance included travel to Jamaica in December 2023. Premier Ford, during an unrelated press briefing, expressed disapproval of the alleged spying and mentioned discussing the matter with the party upon learning of the claims.
Ford clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which partly consist of taxpayer money from per-vote subsidies distributed to political parties in Ontario. He likened the incident to media coverage of his trips to the U.S., stating that such occurrences are common in politics. Former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica, including a stay at one of the resorts listed in the PC party’s 2023 financial records.
When asked if his lack of awareness absolved him of responsibility, Ford emphasized his reliance on his team to ensure proper expenditure oversight during campaigns. He expressed hope that similar tactics would not be repeated in the future, advocating for fair and balanced elections devoid of controversial practices.
The NDP Leader Marit Stiles condemned the reported surveillance as “disgusting” and urged accountability within the PC party, suggesting that heads should roll for the incident. Similarly, interim Leader of the Ontario Liberals, John Fraser, demanded transparency from Ford regarding the alleged monitoring of Crombie and criticized the use of public funds to surveil a political opponent, labeling it an abuse of power.