Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed surprise on Wednesday upon learning about allegations that his Progressive Conservative Party had reportedly spent nearly $3,000 to surveil former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. The Trillium and POLICORNER reported that the party allegedly used donor and taxpayer funds to conduct surveillance on Crombie while she was on a vacation in Jamaica following her victory in the Liberal leadership race in December 2023.
While CBC News has not independently verified the claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER, the Ontario PC Party acknowledged that they engage in opposition research, which included the trip to Jamaica in December 2023. Premier Ford, during a news conference, disapproved of the alleged spying and clarified that it was party money, partly funded by taxpayer dollars.
Ford emphasized that he relies on his team to oversee expenditures and stated that he was not aware of the incident until recently. He mentioned that such activities are not uncommon in politics and compared it to media coverage of his trips. When asked about the possibility of similar tactics in the future, Ford expressed hope that they would not continue and emphasized the importance of fair and balanced elections.
Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the allegations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica after the leadership race in 2023. CBC News obtained the PC Party’s 2023 financial statement from the NDP, revealing expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica. The statement lacked detailed information on the nature and timing of these expenses.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance as unethical and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized Ford for not taking responsibility, calling for accountability within the party. Fraser denounced the alleged actions as a misuse of public funds and raised concerns about the extent to which Ford would go to target political opponents.
The controversy surrounding the surveillance trip has sparked calls for transparency and accountability within the Ontario PC Party.