Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed surprise on Wednesday upon learning that the Progressive Conservative Party had allegedly allocated funds to conduct surveillance on former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her trip to Jamaica in 2023. Reports from The Trillium and POLICORNER indicated that the party purportedly spent around $3,000 from donors and taxpayers on luxurious resorts in Jamaica for the surveillance operation targeting Crombie shortly after she assumed the Liberal leadership in December 2023.

CBC News has not validated the claims made by The Trillium and POLICORNER. However, the Ontario PC Party released a statement acknowledging their engagement in opposition research, which included the trip to Jamaica in December 2023. Premier Ford, distancing himself from the alleged spying, mentioned that he disapproved of such actions and only became aware of the incident on Wednesday, emphasizing that party funds were utilized for the expenses.

Ford defended the party’s actions by stating that political parties engage in various activities during campaigns, likening the situation to media coverage of his own travels. Crombie refrained from commenting on the allegations but confirmed her visit to Jamaica in December 2023, staying at a hotel listed in the PC party’s 2023 financial statement.

The NDP Leader, Marit Stiles, condemned the alleged surveillance, calling it “disgusting” and demanding accountability within the party. She criticized Ford for attempting to downplay the incident and stressed the importance of holding individuals responsible for their actions. Meanwhile, John Fraser, interim Leader of the Ontario Liberals, criticized the use of public funds for such purposes, labeling it as an abuse of power and raising concerns about the extent to which political opponents are targeted by the Ford government.