TORONTO, ON — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is facing sharp criticism after revelations that his Progressive Conservative Party sent an opposition researcher to Jamaica to monitor then-Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie while she was on vacation, an operation Ford says he only recently learned about and would not personally have approved.
Questioned about the controversy, Ford sought to distance himself from the decision while also characterizing opposition research as part of the rough-and-tumble world of politics.
“It’s politics,” Ford told reporters, adding that “stuff happens during elections.”
The Ontario PC Party subsequently confirmed that the Jamaica trip took place in December 2023 as part of its opposition research activities.
“The Ontario PC party, like other political parties, conducts opposition research,” the party said in a statement. “In this instance, that work included travel to Jamaica in December 2023.”
Ford said he learned about the operation only recently and had discussed it with party officials. While saying he did not approve of the tactic, he rejected suggestions that he had personally authorized or managed the expenditure.
“I wouldn’t do it, but again, things happen,” Ford said.
The premier emphasized that approximately $3,000 in party funds, rather than government funds, was spent at Jamaican resorts. However, the mission took place between provincial elections, and Ontario’s major political parties receive public support through the province’s per-vote subsidy system in addition to private political contributions.
When asked whether a similar operation could be conducted against a future Liberal leader, Ford replied, “I hope not,” while calling for “fair and balanced elections.”
A spokesperson for the premier previously said Ford had “no knowledge of this matter” and that anyone involved in the operation no longer works for either the provincial government or the PC Party.
Ontario Liberal interim leader John Fraser rejected Ford’s explanation and argued that the premier, as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, should accept responsibility for actions carried out by the organization.
“It’s not politics as usual,” Fraser said. “Either he’s the head of the party, or he’s not — and if you’re the head of the party, you take responsibility.”
Fraser accused Ford of treating the controversy too casually and said he did not accept the premier’s explanation that he was unaware of what had happened.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles was equally critical, saying it “defies belief” that Ford had no authority over the operation. She alleged the mission represented an attempt to use political resources to monitor and potentially intimidate an opponent.
Stiles also questioned whether the incident could create concerns beyond elected politicians, pointing to workers, whistleblowers and others who have publicly challenged the Ford government.
Despite those concerns, Stiles said she would not be intimidated and would continue holding the premier and his government accountable.
According to reporting by POLICORNER and The Trillium, Crombie arrived in Jamaica on December 8, 2023, and stayed at Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast.
Financial records filed by the Ontario PC Party reportedly show a payment of $1,000.05 to the same resort during 2023. The expense was categorized as “Other — Office & Administration,” without further explanation in the filing with Elections Ontario.
Party records also reportedly show another expenditure of $1,971.67 at the Royalton Negril Hotel in Jamaica. It remains unclear exactly what that payment covered or what role, if any, the second resort played in the opposition research operation.
Another detail attracting attention involves Cody Welton, who served as Ford’s deputy chief of staff with responsibilities that included issues management, media relations and legislative affairs.
On December 11, 2023 — the same day Crombie reportedly returned to Toronto — Welton posted an emoji depicting the Jamaican flag on X. The post was subsequently deleted. Welton did not respond to questions from the original reporters about whether the post was connected to Crombie’s trip or whether he had any involvement in the operation.
Opposition research itself is a common feature of political campaigning, with parties routinely examining the public records, statements, policies and backgrounds of their rivals in search of information that can be used politically.
What has made the Ontario controversy particularly contentious is the reported decision to send someone outside Canada to personally monitor a political opponent while she was on a private vacation.
At the time, Crombie had recently won the Ontario Liberal leadership, and the Progressive Conservatives were already aggressively attempting to define their new opponent in the eyes of voters.
The PCs portrayed Crombie as wealthy and disconnected from ordinary Ontarians, criticizing what they characterized as her expensive lifestyle, including her cars, vacations and property connections. The party also launched campaign-style advertisements presenting her as an elitist who would make life more expensive for Ontario residents.
The Jamaica revelation has now added a new dimension to that political battle, raising questions about where conventional opposition research ends and whether personally following a political rival on an international vacation crosses an acceptable boundary.
Ford continues to maintain that he did not know about the operation when it occurred and would not have approved it. His political opponents, however, argue that as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party and premier of the province, he cannot simply distance himself from the actions of his political organization.
The controversy is therefore likely to extend beyond the approximately $3,000 spent in Jamaica. At its heart is a broader question about political accountability and how far political parties should be permitted to go when gathering information about their opponents.
For Ford, his explanation was simple: “It’s politics.”
For his opponents, that explanation is precisely why the episode deserves greater scrutiny.