Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed surprise on Wednesday upon learning of allegations that the Progressive Conservative Party had spent funds to conduct surveillance on former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. According to reports by The Trillium and POLICORNER, anonymous sources revealed that the provincial party allocated nearly $3,000 from donor and taxpayer contributions to monitor Crombie during her stay at two luxury resorts in Jamaica shortly after she secured the Liberal leadership in December 2023.
Although CBC News has not independently verified the claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER, the Ontario PC Party released a statement stating that opposition research, which included the Jamaica trip in question, is a standard practice for political parties. Ford, during an unrelated news conference, disapproved of the alleged surveillance, stating that he was unaware of the incident until the previous day and reiterated that the expenses were covered by party funds, which partly consist of taxpayer money.
Acknowledging the nature of political activities, Ford compared the monitoring incident to media coverage during his trips to the U.S., emphasizing that unforeseen events occur in the realm of politics. Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica after the 2023 leadership race, staying at one of the hotels listed in the PC party’s financial statement. The financial records obtained by CBC News from the NDP showed expenses at both the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel, with details lacking on the specifics of the spending at the latter establishment.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Leader of the Ontario Liberals John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance as inappropriate and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized Ford for the incident, calling for accountability within the party, while Fraser raised concerns about the misuse of public funds for targeting political opponents. The opposition leaders demanded transparency from Ford regarding the individuals involved in the surveillance operation and questioned the ethical standards upheld by the government.