This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
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On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
This story is a collaboration between POLICORNER and The Trillium.
Six days after winning the Liberal leadership in 2023, Bonnie Crombie travelled to Jamaica for a three-day vacation with her then-partner. The trip, sources say, was a chance for Crombie to catch her breath after a gruelling seven-month contest.
Unbeknownst to Crombie, the Progressive Conservative Party had sent someone to Jamaica to surveil her, according to two other sources familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As The Trillium reported earlier this week, the PCs spent nearly $3,000 in donor and taxpayer money in 2023 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica.
When The Trillium first asked the party about the purpose of one of the resort payments, a party spokesperson said it was “not personal in nature, nor was it related to a vacation.”
Now, sources tell POLICORNER and The Trillium that the party paid for someone to go to the resort Crombie was staying at as part of the Tories’ opposition research work. Both of the sources agreed with the characterization that this was “to spy on” her.
While the PC party did not respond to questions about the Jamaican mission, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said Ford “had no knowledge of this matter” and that “anyone involved no longer works for the government or for the party.”
Crombie arrived in Jamaica on Dec. 8, 2023, and checked into Ocean Eden Bay, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island’s northern coast, according to a separate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The PC party’s 2023 financial statement shows it paid $1,000.05 to the same resort that year. The expense was listed under “Other — Office & Administration.” No other details about the expense are included in the return the party filed with Elections Ontario.
The money came, in part, from taxpayers. Major political parties in Ontario operate thanks largely to funding from their supporters, who receive tax credits for their political donations, and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. That subsidy accounted for nearly half of the Tories’ total income in 2023.
On Dec. 11, 2023 — the day Crombie returned to Toronto — Cody Welton, who was Ford’s deputy chief of staff, responsible for issues management, media relations and legislative affairs until January, posted an emoji of the Jamaican flag on X. The post has since been deleted.
Welton did not respond to questions about whether his post was related to Crombie’s trip or whether he was involved in the effort.
The party’s records show it spent another $1,971.67 at a second resort, the Royalton Negril Hotel. It is unclear what that expense was for or how, if at all, it figured into the operation.
Political parties conduct opposition research to gather information about their political opponents. Oftentimes, the goal is to find information that could be damaging.
When Crombie won the Liberal leadership, the Tories sought to cast her as wealthy and out of touch, attacking her lifestyle. “She doesn’t get the concerns of everyday people,” the party stated the day of her victory, pointing to her “fancy cars” and “vacations at her home in the Hamptons.”
The PC party also unleashed a barrage of campaign-style advertisements about Crombie, characterizing her as an “expensive” elitist.
The Ford government has recently been under political pressure over how public money is being spent.
Over the past three years, PC MPPs who live in or around Toronto expensed more than $120,000 on overnight stays in the city to taxpayers, despite living close by. Some also used money from their local riding associations to pay for restaurants, hotels, limousine services and, in one case, a “suite rental” at the Rogers Centre. One cabinet minister has resigned, and several more are facing questions about their claims.
Ford has apologized for the controversy and promised MPPs will pay back “every penny” of the money spent on Toronto hotels, while the government has moved to scrap the hotel allowance, which is intended for emergencies such as snowstorms.
The episode also cuts against the Tory camp’s past defence of politicians’ privacy. Ford has previously bristled at protesters coming to his home, telling them, “You want to protest me, come down to Queen’s Park.”
“You can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down,” he said in 2020.
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the Jamaican mission “disgusting” and “despicable,” and said it was the latest example of Ford importing “Trump-style” politics into Ontario.
“As a woman in politics, as one of his political opponents, I find it deeply disturbing,” she said in an interview. “Obviously, it’s not the first time I’ve worried about my personal privacy, and what lengths this government will go to try to dig into our lives. I’m so offended and appalled that they would do this to Ms. Crombie.”
Stiles added: “The premier has a 24-hour security detail from the OPP. I don’t have that, and none of the other opposition MPPs have that. I would like to know whether he was aware.”
Stiles said it represents “yet another reason” women may think twice about running for office. “(Ford) needs to apologize and heads need to roll here,” she added. “And frankly, the rot starts at the top.”
John Fraser, who has served as interim Liberal leader since Crombie quit in January, said this kind of opposition research crosses a line “by a mile.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought it was acceptable to orchestrate having someone follow a political opponent out of the country while she was on a personal trip,” Fraser said, calling it “an extraordinary abuse of public money and an appalling invasion of personal privacy.”
“Doug Ford needs to explain why he thought this kind of behaviour was acceptable and give Ontarians a full accounting of how often his political operation has done this,” he added.
Kathleen Wynne — Ontario’s former Liberal premier, and the province’s first and only female premier — also weighed in.
“It’s a level of behaviour that’s completely unbecoming. It contributes to an environment of increased misogyny, toxicity in politics, and it undermines people’s confidence in the ability of leaders to make good decisions,” she said. “This is not something that would’ve happened if Bonnie Crombie was a man. To pretend it is something other than that is just hypocrisy.”
Wynne said Ford is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his staff and should be held accountable for their actions. “To pretend as a leader that you don’t have responsibility just because you didn’t know is ridiculous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the job.”
Crombie, who is running for Mississauga mayor and has sought to make peace with Ford, declined to comment.
— With files from Jack Hauen.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Were you involved in the Jamaica mission? Know someone who was? I want to hear from you, and I’ll keep you anonymous. Your favourite newsletter is back to regular programming in September.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.