Ford Disapproves of Party Surveillance of Crombie in Jamaica

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he does not condone his Progressive Conservative party sending an operative to surveil then-Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during a vacation in Jamaica in 2023, but he stopped short of issuing a formal apology. The revelation has sparked swift condemnation from opposition parties, who called the actions a disturbing invasion of privacy and an example of "creepy" politics.

The incident, first reported by The Trillium and Policorner, centres on a trip Crombie took to Jamaica in early December 2023, shortly after winning the Liberal leadership. Sources told the outlets that the PC party spent nearly $3,000 in party funds, which include taxpayer subsidies, to send someone to the same resort where Crombie was staying as part of opposition research work. The party's financial records show payments of $1,000.05 to the Ocean Eden Bay resort and $1,971.67 to the Royalton Negril Hotel during that period.

Ford addressed the matter at an unrelated press conference in Guelph on Thursday, August 13, 2026. "I just found out about it yesterday," Ford said. "I've talked to the party about it. It was $3,000 of the party's money and I didn't know until yesterday, but...