Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne defended his handling of federal agreements with Stellantis as opposition MPs intensified pressure over job losses at the company’s Brampton facility.
Appearing before the House of Commons industry committee on Wednesday, Champagne faced pointed criticism from Conservative members who accused him of failing to secure adequate employment protections for auto workers.
Champagne, who negotiated the Stellantis deals during his time as industry minister, said the government obtained “a number of covenants” safeguarding workers and the company’s operations in Canada.
The agreements are under renewed scrutiny after Stellantis announced in October that production of the Jeep Compass will shift from Brampton to the United States.
“I’ve met with a number of the workers, and they know we fought nail and tooth to make sure of that,” Champagne said, responding to Conservative MP Kathy Borelli, who accused him of withholding key contract details. “You’re entitled to your own opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts. We fought to keep Brampton.”
Borelli replied that the minister “didn’t fight hard enough because 3,000 people lost their jobs,” questioning whether he was “proud” of the agreement he negotiated.
Champagne said he welcomed scrutiny of the facts but rejected attacks on his character. Pressure has been mounting on the Liberal government to release full, unredacted versions of the Stellantis contracts, including any clauses related to job guarantees at the Brampton plant.
Earlier this month, Ottawa issued a notice of default to the company, alleging its production shift violated the terms of the agreements.
The contracts include a 2022 contribution agreement with NextStar Energy, a Stellantis–LG Energy Solution joint venture, for an electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, offering up to $15 billion in subsidies shared between the federal and Ontario governments.
A 2023 agreement adds another $500 million in federal funding through the Strategic Innovation Fund. Champagne told MPs that federal subsidies total $9.7 billion, of which $40 million has been disbursed.
Conservative MP Kyle Seeback said documents provided to the committee show Stellantis committed to maintaining an average of 4,475 full-time employees in Canada, which he argued still allowed the company to reduce staffing significantly.
“They could fire 3,500 employees and still be in compliance,” he said, adding that the job losses in Brampton show how the clause failed to protect workers.
Champagne said the employment figure was a 12-year average that set a minimum level of jobs and tied the company to operating its Brampton and Windsor facilities.
He accused Seeback and others of making assumptions about negotiations they did not participate in. Asked whether he informed Unifor of the job clause, he said only that the government consulted “a number of stakeholders.”
Stellantis executives have told MPs and issued public statements insisting they have no plans to close the Brampton plant, describing the halt in output as an ‘operational pause.’ The company points to recent investments in Canada as evidence of its long-term commitment.
The production shift comes amid broader upheaval in the North American auto sector. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed opposition to automobile manufacturing in Canada and has taken credit for plants moving to the United States.
Stellantis has said a new model will be assigned to Brampton, likely after the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement undergoes renewal or renegotiation next year.
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