Ontario Premier Doug Ford disclosed on Wednesday that he was not informed about the Progressive Conservative Party’s expenditure to purportedly monitor former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. A report by The Trillium and POLICORNER revealed that the provincial party allegedly used nearly $3,000 from donor and taxpayer funds to conduct surveillance on Crombie while she was in Jamaica following her Liberal leadership win in December 2023. The surveillance reportedly occurred during her three-day vacation in Jamaica.
CBC News has not verified the claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER. However, the Ontario PC Party released a statement acknowledging their opposition research activities, which involved travel to Jamaica in December 2023. Ford mentioned at a news conference that he disapproves of the alleged surveillance and had addressed the issue with the party after learning about it.
The Premier clarified that the expenses were covered by party funds, which include taxpayer contributions through per-vote subsidies. Ford likened the incident to media members accompanying him on trips to the U.S., stating that such occurrences are common in politics. When asked if he should be held accountable for not being aware of the incident, Ford emphasized his reliance on his team to oversee expenditure during campaigns.
Regarding the future use of similar tactics, Ford expressed hope that such actions would not continue, emphasizing the importance of fair and balanced elections. Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica in December 2023, staying at one of the resorts listed in the PC party’s financial statement.
The PC Party’s 2023 financial statement, obtained by CBC News from the NDP, revealed expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica. The statement lacked details on the timing, duration, or purpose of the expenses at the Royalton Negril Hotel.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance, labeling it as inappropriate and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized the conduct as reminiscent of “creepy Trump-style politics,” calling for accountability within the party. Fraser denounced the use of donor and taxpayer funds for such purposes, raising concerns about the extent to which Ford is willing to target political opponents.