Ontario Premier Doug Ford disclosed on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of the Progressive Conservative Party’s alleged expenditure on surveilling former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER revealed that the provincial party purportedly used around $3,000 from donors and taxpayers to conduct surveillance on Crombie during her vacation in Jamaica shortly after she won the Liberal leadership in December 2023. The sources cited in the story remained anonymous.
The Ontario PC Party responded to these allegations by stating that like other political parties, they engage in opposition research, which in this instance involved traveling to Jamaica in December 2023. Ford, during an unrelated press conference, expressed disapproval of the alleged spying and clarified that it was party funds that were utilized for the expense. He emphasized that political parties in Ontario receive subsidies per vote, which partly comprise taxpayer money.
Ford further explained that he trusts his team to ensure appropriate spending of funds, indicating that he does not monitor every dollar spent during campaigns. When questioned about the continuity of such tactics, Ford expressed hope that they would not persist, advocating for fair and balanced elections moving forward.
Bonnie Crombie declined to comment on the accusations but confirmed her vacation in Jamaica and stay at one of the hotels mentioned in the PC party’s 2023 financial report. The report, obtained by CBC News from the NDP, detailed expenses at the Ocean Eden Bay and Royalton Negril Hotel, without specifying the purpose or timing of these expenditures.
Opposition party leaders, including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser, condemned the alleged surveillance, labeling it as unethical and an abuse of power. Stiles criticized Ford, calling for accountability within the party for the incident, while Fraser raised concerns about the misuse of public and donor money for targeting political opponents.