Carney aware of 'some aspects' of Stellantis auto plant sale, but says company still broke deal

Detailed summary

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that he had been informed of "some aspects" of Stellantis's plan to sell a Brampton, Ont., auto plant to Canadian armoured vehicle…

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that he had been informed of "some aspects" of Stellantis's plan to sell a Brampton, Ont., auto plant to Canadian armoured ⁠vehicle maker Roshel Inc. before the deal was announced by the automaker earlier this week.

"Being informed or being aware of some aspects is not the same as Stellantis providing a global solution for those workers at the plant, which is their obligation," Carney said while at a European Political Community meeting in Dublin, Ireland.

Stellantis and Roshel signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the potential sale in September. The prime minister did not say on Thursday how long he was aware of the deal or what aspects he was aware of.

More than 2,000 workers at the Stellantis's Brampton plant have been out of work since the company halted operations in 2023 to retool the facility to produce the Jeep Compass.

Carney said that while selling the plant is a "partial solution" for some of the workers who lost their jobs, it leaves others out in the cold.

"We will pursue all of this. A partial solution is a step, it is not a global solution. That is a betrayal," he said.

The prime minister made the comments a day after reports that his office and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's office had been aware of the details of what was going to be made public for months.

A spokesperson for Joly told CBC News on Wednesday that she "had no part in negotiating the deal with Stellantis or Roshel" and didn't meet with Roshel.

"It violates the obligations that Stellantis has under several agreements, but to be more fundamental, it's a betrayal of the workers as it is a betrayal of the obligations to Canada and by extension to all Canadians."

Opening of the article, excerpted from CBC News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.