Muhammad Amanullah | August 14, 2026
The True Post (Web News) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he was unaware until Wednesday that his Progressive Conservative Party allegedly spent thousands of dollars in Jamaica to monitor former Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie. The allegation has triggered a political controversy, with opposition parties demanding answers from Ford and his party.
Reports indicate that the Ontario PC Party spent approximately C$3,000 at two luxury resorts in Jamaica in December 2023. The spending has been linked to an alleged political research operation targeting Crombie. However, the allegation that Crombie was actually surveilled has not been independently verified.
How Did the Allegation Emerge?
Canadian media outlets The Trillium and Policy Corner reported that the Ontario PC Party spent party funds at two five-star resorts in Jamaica in December 2023.
The reports cited unnamed sources familiar with the alleged operation, who claimed the money was used to monitor Bonnie Crombie, who had travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation just six days after becoming leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
However, CBC News said it was unable to independently verify the reports by The Trillium and Policy Corner.
The Party Confirmed the Jamaica Trip
Although the alleged surveillance has not been directly confirmed, the Ontario PC Party acknowledged on Thursday that a trip to Jamaica took place.
The party said that, like other political parties, it conducts political research on opposition parties and that its opposition research activities included a trip to Jamaica in December 2023.
The statement did not clarify whether the approximately C$3,000 spent at the two resorts was specifically connected to monitoring Crombie or whether she was actually followed.
What Did Doug Ford Say?
Doug Ford addressed the controversy during an unrelated news conference on Thursday and said he first learned about the allegations on Wednesday.
Ford said he did not approve of the alleged surveillance and had spoken with the party after the claims emerged.
According to Ford, the Jamaica trip was paid for with party funds. However, Ontario political parties also receive per-vote subsidies, meaning a portion of their overall funding can indirectly come from taxpayers.
Ford defended himself by saying that he does not personally monitor every dollar spent during political campaigns and trusts his team to use party money appropriately.
He also compared political monitoring to situations in which journalists follow him during his trips to the United States.
Bonnie Crombie Was Also in Jamaica
Former Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie has not directly commented on the alleged surveillance.
However, she confirmed to CBC News that she travelled to Jamaica for a vacation after the 2023 Liberal leadership race ended.
Crombie said she stayed at the Ocean Eden Bay resort, one of the hotels listed in the Ontario PC Party’s 2023 financial records.
That detail has become an important part of the controversy because the party’s financial documents show spending at Ocean Eden Bay as well as another Jamaican resort.
What Do the Financial Records Show?
A copy of the Ontario PC Party’s 2023 annual financial statement was provided to CBC News by the NDP.
According to the document, C$1,000.05 was spent at Ocean Eden Bay under office and administrative expenses, while C$1,971.67 was spent at the Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica.
The two expenses total approximately C$2,972.
However, the financial statement does not specify the dates of the expenses, how long the stays lasted or which individual submitted the expenses.
It is also unclear what the Royalton Negril expense was specifically for. Therefore, the financial records alone do not establish that the money was spent to monitor Bonnie Crombie.
Opposition Parties Demand Answers
The allegations have prompted strong criticism from Ontario’s opposition parties.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles described the alleged action as deeply inappropriate and said that monitoring a female political rival during a private vacation should have no place in Ontario politics.
Stiles also questioned who within the party approved the expenses and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Ontario Liberal interim leader John Fraser also demanded answers from Doug Ford.
Fraser questioned why anyone would have been sent to Jamaica to allegedly follow Crombie and asked who was involved in the operation.
He argued that if party donations or taxpayer-funded resources were used to monitor a political opponent during a private trip, it would represent an extraordinary use of public money.
Ford’s Response
When asked whether he accepted political responsibility for the alleged operation, Ford reiterated that he had not been aware of it and that he does not personally oversee every expenditure.
He said he trusts his team to ensure that party funds are spent appropriately.
Asked whether similar political tactics could be used again, Ford responded that he hoped they would not.
He also emphasized the importance of fair and balanced elections.
The Main Question Remains Unanswered
The central question in the controversy is what the approximately C$3,000 spent in Jamaica was actually used for.
Financial records confirm spending at two Jamaican resorts. Crombie has confirmed that she was staying at one of the resorts during the relevant period. The PC Party has also acknowledged that it travelled to Jamaica in December 2023 as part of opposition research.
However, there is currently no independently verified evidence proving that party officials actually surveilled or followed Bonnie Crombie.
The controversy therefore goes beyond hotel expenses. It raises broader questions about political ethics, the use of party funds, taxpayer-funded subsidies and the tactics political parties use against their opponents.
If an investigation ultimately establishes that party resources were used to monitor a political rival during a private vacation, it could become an unusual and significant episode in Ontario politics. For now, however, the available evidence confirms the spending and the Jamaica trip but does not conclusively establish that Bonnie Crombie was surveilled.
