Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed surprise on Wednesday upon learning about allegations that his Progressive Conservative Party had spent funds to surveil former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her trip to Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER revealed that the party purportedly allocated close to $3,000 in donations and taxpayer money to conduct surveillance on Crombie at two luxury resorts in Jamaica shortly after she assumed the Liberal leadership in December 2023. Despite these claims from anonymous sources, CBC News has not confirmed the reports independently.
In response to the allegations, the Ontario PC Party released a statement acknowledging their engagement in opposition research, which included a trip to Jamaica in December 2023. Premier Ford distanced himself from the alleged spying, stating that party funds were used for the expenses. He emphasized that political parties in Ontario receive financial support from taxpayer money, including a per-vote subsidy.
When questioned about his awareness of the incident, Ford stated that he relies on his team to oversee appropriate spending during campaigns and hopes such tactics will not continue in the future. Crombie declined to comment on the accusations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica after the leadership race, staying at one of the resorts listed in the PC party’s 2023 financial statement.
The NDP Leader Marit Stiles condemned the alleged spying as “disgusting” and called for accountability within the party, emphasizing that such actions have no place in politics. Interim Leader of the Ontario Liberals, John Fraser, criticized the use of public funds to surveil a political opponent, describing it as an abuse of power and raising concerns about the extent to which such tactics have been employed in the past.
The controversy surrounding the surveillance allegations has sparked calls for transparency and accountability within the Ontario PC Party, with opposition leaders demanding explanations from Premier Ford regarding the reported surveillance operation in Jamaica.