Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of the Progressive Conservative Party’s expenditure on surveillance activities targeting former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her visit to Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER indicated that the party allegedly utilized nearly $3,000 from donors and taxpayers to monitor Crombie at two luxurious Jamaican resorts, citing information from undisclosed sources familiar with the operation.
The alleged surveillance reportedly occurred shortly after Crombie secured the Liberal leadership in December 2023 while she was vacationing in Jamaica for three days. Despite The Trillium and POLICORNER’s claims, CBC News has not independently verified the reports. In response, the Ontario PC Party issued a statement acknowledging their engagement in opposition research, which involved a trip to Jamaica in December 2023.
During an unrelated press conference, Ford distanced himself from the alleged spying activities, stating that he disapproved of the actions and only learned about them on Wednesday, prompting a discussion with the party. He clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which include taxpayer money allocated through per-vote subsidies for political parties in Ontario.
Ford justified the trip as part of common political practices, likening it to media coverage of his U.S. visits. When questioned about his awareness of the incident, Ford emphasized his reliance on his team to oversee financial matters, expressing hope that similar tactics would not be repeated in the future for fair and balanced elections.
Meanwhile, Crombie refrained from providing comments on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica following the leadership race in 2023, staying at one of the resorts listed in the PC party’s 2023 financial statement. The statement, obtained by CBC News from the NDP, detailed expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica without specific dates, durations, or purposes for the spending at the latter.
Opposition leaders, including Marit Stiles of the NDP and John Fraser of the Ontario Liberals, condemned the alleged surveillance as unethical and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized Ford for downplaying the incident and called for accountability within the party, while Fraser raised concerns about the misuse of public funds for tracking political opponents, questioning the extent of Ford’s tactics and demanding transparency on the individuals involved in the operation.