Carney Calls Brampton Plant Closure a “Betrayal” to Canadians

Prime Minister Mark Carney described the closure of the Stellantis plant in Brampton, Ontario, as a betrayal to Canada and its citizens.

During a speech in Montreal on Tuesday, Carney stated, “The current situation at the Brampton plant is not acceptable.”

He continued, “This action breaches Stellantis’s commitments under multiple agreements and, more fundamentally, it is a betrayal of the workers as well as a betrayal of the commitments to Canada and, by extension, to all Canadians.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held the Liberal government accountable for not averting the shutdown and urged Carney to dismiss Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for her management of the situation.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses the media during a news conference on Tuesday near the Stellantis assembly facility. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press)

Poilievre remarked, “The Liberal strategy has failed to protect jobs from Stellantis to Stelco,” while standing outside the idle Brampton auto assembly facility earlier on Tuesday. “In both scenarios, the Liberals assured that they would restore the jobs.”

He added, “Today, the Official Opposition calls on the Liberal prime minister to terminate his ineffective, costly, job-destroying industry minister.”

Stelco, which is owned by Cleveland-Cliffs, a U.S. firm, announced in September its plans to lay off hundreds of Ontario steelworkers, despite previously promising to maintain unionized worker levels until 2024.

Both Canadian steel and automotive sectors are affected by tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

WATCH | Poilievre demands Joly’s dismissal:

Poilievre calls for Joly to be fired: ‘She’s done nothing’

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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is advocating for the dismissal of Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, criticizing her management of Ontario’s struggling steel and automotive industries, and asserting that the Liberal strategy has failed to safeguard jobs.

Carney, standing alongside Joly, defended her performance, asserting that she is “doing an outstanding job under very challenging conditions” and will continue to “advocate for these workers.”

“The problem lies not in the exceptional work of Minister of Industry Joly and her team, but in the actions of the company towards those employees,” Carney stated.

• Roshel to purchase Stellantis assembly facility in Brampton for an undisclosed figure, according to the automaker.

• Stellantis signs agreement with Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer regarding potential sale of the Brampton plant.

Joly mentioned that her office has been in discussions with Stellantis and Unifor, the union representing the Brampton plant’s workers, for over a year in an effort to reach a resolution, but without success.

“Stellantis has chosen to proceed and breach its contract, which is why we will… utilize the full extent of the law to ensure job protection and restore justice for these workers,” she stated.

WATCH | Carney labels the planned Stellantis sale a ‘betrayal’:

Carney calls planned Stellantis sale a ‘betrayal’ of workers, defends Joly’s work

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Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed that the circumstances at Stellantis are ‘unacceptable’, as the assembly facility in Brampton, Ont., is set to be acquired by a Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer. He asserted, ‘We will fully enforce our rights’ to protect the workers and Canadian funds, although he did not provide specific details.

A deal revealed by the Trudeau administration in 2022 stated that the federal government would invest up to $529 million in Stellantis facilities in Brampton and Windsor, Ontario, to assist in retooling for increased production of electric and gas-powered vehicles.

The agreement prohibited Stellantis from shutting down its Brampton assembly site before 2035 unless faced with conditions beyond the automaker’s “reasonable control” that rendered the plant “commercially unfeasible.”

In 2023, over 2,000 employees were laid off from the Brampton facility when operations ceased to modify the plant to manufacture the Jeep Compass.

However, Stellantis delayed the retooling initiative in early 2025, revealing in October of that year that the Jeep Compass would instead be produced at the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.

The future of the Brampton facility remained uncertain until Monday, when Stellantis declared it was selling the site to Canadian armored vehicle maker Roshel Inc. in a transaction that may involve Stellantis leasing part of the property back.

Feds provided $222M to Stellantis

In a statement, Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov indicated that his company intends to transform the Brampton facility into “a new center of excellence for advanced manufacturing.” However, in a discussion with CBC News on Monday evening, he did not guarantee the return of Stellantis employees.

“We are not assuming any responsibilities or obligations that Stellantis has taken on in the past,” he informed host Hanomansing Tonight.

The prime minister asserted that his government aims to “fully enforce our rights regarding the protection of those workers and the safeguarding of Canadian resources.”

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown expressed to CBC News his desire for a unified Canadian response to Trump’s efforts to undermine the country’s automotive industry.

“If we allow Stellantis to depart without repercussions and disregard their legal commitments, this will not be the last automotive facility to close in Canada,” Brown warned. “This is fundamentally about safeguarding automotive jobs.”

Joly is scheduled to convene a meeting of all involved parties in Toronto on Thursday to explore potential pathways for the displaced Stellantis workers.

WATCH | Industry minister claims Stellantis breached its contract:

Stellantis has decided to ‘violate its contract,’ industry minister says

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Industry Minister Mélanie Joly asserts that she will gather stakeholders to discuss Stellantis, which plans to transfer an idle assembly plant to an armored vehicle manufacturer. Joly, whom Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wishes to see dismissed, pledged to safeguard workers, stating that ‘patience has its limits.’