Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of the Progressive Conservative Party’s expenditure on allegedly monitoring former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER detailed how the party purportedly spent close to $3,000 from donor and taxpayer funds on luxury resorts in Jamaica to conduct surveillance on Crombie shortly after she assumed the Liberal leadership in December 2023 while on a vacation in the country.
While CBC News has not independently verified these claims, the Ontario PC Party responded by stating that they engage in opposition research activities like other political parties, which included the Jamaica trip in December 2023. Ford, distancing himself from the alleged spying, mentioned during a separate press briefing that he disapproved of the actions and had addressed the matter with the party upon learning about it.
Ford clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, a portion of which comes from taxpayer money through per-vote subsidies. Regarding his awareness of such incidents, Ford emphasized relying on his team to ensure appropriate spending, stating that he does not scrutinize every dollar during campaigns. When questioned about the possibility of similar tactics in the future, Ford expressed a hope that they would not occur, advocating for fair and balanced elections.
Despite the allegations, Bonnie Crombie refrained from commenting directly but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica post-leadership race in 2023, staying at one of the resorts mentioned in the PC party’s 2023 financial records. Further examination of the party’s financial statement revealed expenditures at both the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica, without specific details on the nature, duration, or claimants of these expenses.
Opposition leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance, labeling it as invasive and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized Ford for not taking responsibility, calling for accountability within the party, while Fraser raised concerns about the misuse of public funds for targeting political rivals, questioning the extent of such actions and their recurrence.