Ontario Premier Doug Ford has stated that he only learned on Wednesday about the Progressive Conservative Party’s expenditure to allegedly surveil former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER revealed that the party purportedly spent close to $3,000 from donor and taxpayer funds on surveillance activities at two luxury resorts in Jamaica to monitor Crombie shortly after she became the Liberal leader in December 2023. The sources cited in the story remained anonymous.
CBC News has not verified The Trillium and POLICORNER’s claims independently. Nevertheless, the Ontario PC Party issued a statement on Thursday acknowledging their engagement in opposition research, which included the Jamaica trip in December 2023.
Premier Ford expressed disapproval of the alleged surveillance during a news conference and clarified that he does not endorse such actions. He mentioned that the party’s expenses were covered by party funds, which are partially sourced from taxpayer money through per-vote subsidies.
Ford emphasized that incidents like these are common in politics, likening the situation to media members following him on trips to the U.S. When asked about his lack of awareness regarding the incident, Ford stated that he relies on his team to oversee appropriate spending and hopes such tactics will not continue in the future.
Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica in December 2023 and her stay at one of the resorts listed in the PC party’s 2023 financial statement. The statement obtained by CBC News from the NDP showed expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel, with no detailed information on the nature or timing of these expenses.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, strongly criticized the alleged surveillance, labeling it as inappropriate and an abuse of power. They called for accountability within the PC Party and demanded explanations from Premier Ford regarding the incident involving surveillance of Crombie in Jamaica.
