Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed on Wednesday that he was not informed about the alleged expenditure by his Progressive Conservative Party to surveil former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. As reported by The Trillium and POLICORNER, the party reportedly spent nearly $3,000 from donor and taxpayer funds on luxurious Jamaican resorts to observe Crombie shortly after she secured the Liberal leadership in December 2023. The sources cited in the report remained anonymous.
Ford, addressing the issue at a news conference, expressed disapproval of the purported surveillance and stated that he only learned about the matter the day before. The Ontario PC Party later issued a statement acknowledging their standard practice of conducting opposition research, which, in this instance, involved a trip to Jamaica in December 2023.
The Premier clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which are partially sourced from taxpayer money through per-vote subsidies. He likened the incident to media coverage of his own trips, stating that such occurrences are common in politics.
Former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie refrained from commenting on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica in December 2023, staying at one of the resorts specified in the PC party’s financial statement. The statement, obtained by CBC News from the NDP, detailed expenses at Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica but lacked specifics on the timing, duration, or purpose of the spending at the latter.
In response to the controversy, opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance as intrusive and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized the tactics as reminiscent of “creepy Trump-style politics,” calling for accountability within the party and demanding consequences for those involved.
Ford, when questioned about his knowledge of the incident, emphasized relying on his team to ensure the appropriate use of funds during campaigns. He expressed hope that such tactics would not persist in future elections, emphasizing the importance of fair and balanced electoral processes.