Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed surprise on Wednesday upon learning that his Progressive Conservative Party had reportedly spent funds to conduct surveillance on former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her trip to Jamaica in 2023. According to reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER, the party allegedly used nearly $3,000 from donors and taxpayers to monitor Crombie at two luxurious resorts in Jamaica shortly after her Liberal leadership victory in December 2023. The surveillance operation was said to have occurred while Crombie was vacationing in Jamaica for three days. Although CBC News has not independently verified these claims, the Ontario PC Party released a statement acknowledging their opposition research activities, which included the Jamaica trip in question.
During an unrelated press conference, Ford disapproved of the alleged spying and mentioned that he had addressed the matter with the party following the revelations. He clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which include taxpayer contributions through per-vote subsidies. Ford likened the situation to media coverage of his own trips, stating that such occurrences are common in politics.
When questioned about his awareness of the incident and any associated responsibility, Ford emphasized his reliance on his team to manage expenditures appropriately, especially during campaign periods. Regarding the future use of such tactics, Ford expressed hope that similar actions would not be repeated and advocated for fair and balanced elections. Crombie declined to comment directly on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica and stay at one of the mentioned hotels based on the PC party’s financial records.
The NDP Leader, Marit Stiles, criticized the surveillance as “disgusting” and called for accountability within the party, suggesting that those responsible should face consequences. Similarly, the Ontario Liberals’ interim Leader, John Fraser, condemned the actions as an abuse of power and misuse of public funds, raising concerns about Ford’s approach towards political opponents and the potential recurrence of such incidents.