PC Party spent $3,000 in donor and public money spying on Bonnie Crombie in Jamaica
Ontario's Progressive Conservatives sent someone to surveil the then-Liberal leader during her December 2023 vacation, drawing criticism from opposition leaders.
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The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica, according to reporting published Thursday—part of what sources say was opposition research work to surveil then-newly elected Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie during a vacation.
The alleged surveillance took place in December 2023, six days after Crombie won the Liberal leadership. While the PC Party acknowledged that its opposition research included travel to Jamaica that month, it did not explicitly confirm someone was sent to watch Crombie.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he only learned about the spending after the report was published and said he "wouldn't do it." Ford described the situation as "politics," comparing it to media following him during trips to the U.S. However, as reporters noted, Ontario political parties receive a per-vote subsidy funded by taxpayers, complicating Ford's assertion that the $3,000 came solely from party money.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the alleged surveillance "creepy Trump-style politics" and said Ford should not simply dismiss the issue. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser also criticized Ford, calling it the "Creepy Jamaican Spy Scandal" and questioning who travelled to Jamaica and what they hoped to accomplish. Crombie has not yet publicly commented on the report.
Who was the PC operative who travelled to Jamaica, and what exactly did they document?
Has the RCMP or any law enforcement body opened an investigation into the alleged surveillance?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How much did the PC Party spend on the Jamaica trip?
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario spent nearly $3,000 in donor and public money on two five-star resorts in Jamaica in 2023.
When did the alleged surveillance of Bonnie Crombie take place?
The alleged surveillance took place in December 2023, six days after Bonnie Crombie won the Liberal leadership.
What did Doug Ford say about the spending?
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he only learned about the spending after the report was published and said he 'wouldn't do it.' He described the situation as 'politics,' comparing it to media following him during trips to the U.S.
