Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed surprise on Wednesday upon learning that the Progressive Conservative Party had reportedly spent funds to conduct surveillance on former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her visit to Jamaica in 2023. According to reports by The Trillium and POLICORNER, anonymous sources revealed that the party allocated nearly $3,000 from donations and taxpayer money to monitor Crombie at two luxury resorts in Jamaica shortly after she secured the Liberal leadership in December 2023.
CBC News has not verified the claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER independently. Nonetheless, the Ontario PC Party released a statement acknowledging their engagement in opposition research, which included the trip to Jamaica in December 2023.
During a news conference, Ford distanced himself from the alleged surveillance activities, stating that he disapproved of such actions and only became aware of the situation on Wednesday. He clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which are partly sourced from taxpayer money through per-vote subsidies.
Ford highlighted that incidents like these are not uncommon in politics, likening the situation to media coverage during his trips to the U.S. He reassured that he relies on his team to oversee expenditures appropriately and expressed hope that similar tactics would not be repeated in the future.
Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica after the leadership race, staying at one of the resorts mentioned in the PC party’s 2023 financial statement. NDP Leader Marit Stiles condemned the surveillance, calling it “disgusting” and demanding accountability within the party for authorizing such actions. Interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser criticized the use of public funds for surveillance, labeling it as an abuse of power and a concerning tactic targeting political opponents.
