Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of the Progressive Conservative Party using funds to conduct surveillance on former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER revealed that the party allegedly spent close to $3,000 from donations and taxpayer money on luxurious resorts in Jamaica for the purpose of monitoring Crombie shortly after she won the Liberal leadership in December 2023. CBC News has not independently verified these claims.
The Ontario PC Party defended its actions, stating that conducting opposition research, including travel to Jamaica in December 2023, is a standard practice for political parties. Ford, disapproving of the alleged surveillance, mentioned that he addressed the issue with the party after learning about it.
Ford clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which include taxpayer money through a per-vote subsidy. He compared the situation to media coverage of his trips to the U.S., stating that such incidents are common in politics.
Bonnie Crombie refrained from commenting directly on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica in December 2023, staying at one of the hotels listed in the PC party’s financial statement for 2023. When asked about his lack of awareness regarding the incident, Ford emphasized his reliance on his team to oversee appropriate spending and expressed hope that such tactics would not be repeated in the future.
Opposition leaders, including Marit Stiles of the NDP and John Fraser of the Ontario Liberals, condemned the alleged surveillance, with Stiles calling it “disgusting” and demanding accountability within the party. Fraser criticized the use of public funds for such purposes, raising concerns about the extent to which Doug Ford might go to target political opponents.
