Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Colleagues, let's focus on the facts. What's happening in Brampton at the Stellantis facility is completely unacceptable. Stellantis made a commitment—a promise to invest in that plant and to invest in Canadian workers, and our government expects them to honour that promise, full stop.
Last week, I went to Brampton. I met with the women and men who build the backbone of Canada's auto industry, people who have spent years—even decades—showing up every day with pride and determination. In 2009, when the company faced its darkest times, the workers were there, steady, committed and unwilling to let it fall. The government also stepped in to pull the company back from the brink of bankruptcy.
The workers have stood strong through the 2008 financial crisis, through global upheavals and through a pandemic that tested every one of us, and they did it because they believe in the value of their work and what it means to provide for their families, to contribute to their community and to build something bigger than themselves.
Last week, again, they told me what this uncertainty meant for their kids, for their mortgages and for their future, and I told them what I will tell this committee today: We will always fight for auto workers.
We did not hesitate to act. Within a day of Stellantis's announcement on October 15, I sent a letter to Antonio Filosa, global CEO of Stellantis, stating that the company's actions were unacceptable and that we expected them to honour their legally binding commitments to the Government of Canada. On October 20, I summoned Jeff Hines, then-Canadian CEO of Stellantis, to a meeting in Ottawa where he was joined by Vic Fedeli, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, and Lana Payne, national president of Unifor. We were clear: Stellantis is on the hook.
On October 23, together with the Minister of Finance, we announced a 50% reduction in Stellantis' annual remission quota. That means Stellantis has 50% less of a market for its cars without tariffs in our country.
Today, we're moving forward. Before the close of business, the government will take the next step under the contracts to recover Canadian taxpayers' money. This means we'll start the 30-day period of the formal dispute resolution process in order to bring back production at the Stellantis Brampton facility. This is the start of the dispute resolution process.
None of these actions are symbolic. They are direct consequences of the violation of clear obligations. We have no choice but to be direct and clear with the company. When a company does not respect a commitment to the Government of Canada for Canadian workers, there are consequences.
Canada’s automotive industry is a cornerstone of our economy. It directly employs more than 125,000 Canadians while supporting hundreds of thousands more jobs in its supply chain, which is made up of small, medium and large businesses. This industry contributes nearly $17 billion per year to our GDP. More importantly, it plays a key role in the success of many communities. I would even say that it is essential to the success of Canada's middle class.
Manufacturing businesses are located in Ontario, obviously, but they have ties to Quebec, the Prairies, the east coast and the west coast. It is therefore in the national interest to fight for their employees and support the sector's growth and development despite American tariffs. That's why our government has made historic investments in this sector. We've invested in EV and battery manufacturing. We've developed partnerships with the provinces, unions and automakers. We've helped businesses modernize, innovate and prepare for the future.
We've been clear. If you invest in Canada, if you create good jobs here, our government will be your strongest partner, but if you make promises and then walk away, you will be held accountable.
We've shown that before. In trade disputes, we didn't back down. We fought for our workers with fairness, with strength and with results. We've gone even further. We've launched the strategic response fund, a $5-billion investment fund, to help industries like the auto sector to adapt, to retool and to stay competitive, because we're not just reacting. We're planning the future of employment in Canada.
What is happening to the Stellantis workers in Brampton is a fight worth fighting. It is bigger than one company or one city. It is about fairness, accountability and solidarity. It's about keeping promises. It's about standing together, not only when times are good but also when times are tough.
What we need now is national unity, with no divisions and no political games. Workers' livelihoods are not pawns in a partisan strategy. These are lives, families and entire communities, so let's work together.
I'm already doing that with the Government of Ontario and Unifor, and we can do that together.
All levels of government, all parties and all regions of the country must work together to protect Canadian workers. That's what the people of this country expect from us, and that is what we will deliver. We will always be there for this country's workers. We will always be there for Brampton. We will not allow ourselves to be distracted by political games when jobs are at stake.
To the workers I met in Brampton and to auto workers across this country, know this: We see you, we hear you and we're with you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
