Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated he was not informed until Wednesday about his Progressive Conservative Party reportedly spending funds to surveil former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. According to reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER on Thursday, the provincial party allegedly used nearly $3,000 from donor and taxpayer contributions to stay at two luxury resorts in Jamaica for the purpose of monitoring Bonnie Crombie as part of opposition research activities. The sources cited in the story remained anonymous but were said to be knowledgeable about the plan.
The reported surveillance occurred six days after Crombie’s victory in the Liberal leadership race in December 2023, while she was enjoying a three-day vacation in Jamaica, as detailed by The Trillium and POLICORNER. CBC News has not verified this information independently; however, the Ontario PC Party released a statement on Thursday acknowledging their engagement in opposition research that included travel to Jamaica in December 2023.
During an unrelated press briefing on Thursday, Ford expressed disapproval of the alleged surveillance and mentioned discussing the matter with the party after learning about the claims on Wednesday. He clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which are partly sourced from taxpayer money through a per-vote subsidy allocated to political parties in Ontario.
Ford remarked on the nature of politics, stating that incidents like this are not uncommon, comparing the situation to media coverage of his trips to the U.S. When questioned about his responsibility in the matter, Ford emphasized his reliance on his team to ensure appropriate spending, especially during campaigns. He also addressed the possibility of such tactics continuing in the future, expressing hope that they would not, emphasizing the importance of fair and balanced elections.
Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the allegations at present but confirmed to CBC News that she did vacation in Jamaica after the leadership race in 2023, staying at one of the hotels mentioned in the PC party’s 2023 financial report. The financial statement obtained by CBC News from the NDP revealed expenses of $1,000.05 at Ocean Eden Bay and $1,971.67 at Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica, without specifying the purpose of the latter spending.
Opposition party leaders have criticized the alleged surveillance, with NDP Leader Marit Stiles condemning it as “disgusting” and calling for accountability from Ford. Interim Leader of the Ontario Liberals, John Fraser, demanded an explanation from Ford regarding the incident and expressed concerns about the misuse of public funds for following political opponents, labeling it as an abuse of power and raising questions about Ford’s tactics towards opponents in the past.
