Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of the Progressive Conservative Party’s expenditure towards surveilling former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. Reports by The Trillium and POLICORNER indicated that the provincial party allegedly used approximately $3,000 from donor and taxpayer funds to conduct surveillance on Crombie during her visit to Jamaica. The alleged monitoring occurred shortly after Crombie secured the Liberal leadership in December 2023 while she was vacationing on the island.
Although CBC News has not independently verified the claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER, the Ontario PC Party responded on Thursday, acknowledging that like other political parties, they engage in opposition research, which included the Jamaica trip. Premier Ford, in a separate news conference, disapproved of the alleged surveillance and mentioned that he had addressed the issue with the party upon learning about it.
Ford clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which are partially sourced from taxpayer money through per-vote subsidies received by political parties in Ontario. When questioned about his awareness of the incident, Ford stated that he relies on his team to ensure proper use of funds during campaigns.
Former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her visit to Jamaica in December 2023, staying at one of the resorts mentioned in the PC party’s financial statement. The financial report obtained by CBC News from the NDP highlighted expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel, without specifying the purpose or duration of the spending at the latter.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Leader of the Ontario Liberals John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance as unethical and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized the act as reminiscent of “creepy Trump-style politics,” while Fraser demanded accountability from Ford regarding the surveillance operation and the individuals involved, labeling it as an abuse of public funds and a dangerous tactic in targeting political adversaries.