International Trade Committee on Dec. 4th, 2025

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Is any—

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

What is clear in the contract is that the investments in the battery plants—which are super important, and which we stand by and will continue to defend—were linked to the Brampton facility. That's why we say it's on the hook.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

On October 21, you said, in the House, “The opposition on the committee will have access to the contracts, and they will discover that indeed we negotiated well”.

Do you recall saying that?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

I stand by it.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Was the jobs guarantee in the contract for anything less than 100% of Stellantis's footprint, at the time the contracts were signed?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

When you're dealing with an automaker, you know there will be—

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Minister, you're negotiating a contract—

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Wait. Let me—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Let her answer.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

I didn't negotiate the contract, but I can tell you this: When you look at an automaker over a 10- to 15-year period, there are changes in models. Sometimes, during that lifespan, there will be a time when there's retooling. Basically, people are put on pause, then rehired. That is all negotiated with Unifor. That is all negotiated with the unions.

That is why it was really important to have a job number, but what was most important, Adam—

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

The question is, was it for 100%?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

That's my last point. It was to link to the protection of Brampton, because there was a preoccupation at the time—I wasn't there and you weren't there—

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

It's a yes-or-no question.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

There was a preoccupation with making sure we would protect the jobs at Brampton.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Was the jobs guarantee in the contract for less than 100% of Stellantis's footprint at the time the contracts were signed?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

I can tell you that there was a jobs guarantee.

I can also tell you that—

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

There is a job guarantee, but it's for less than 100%.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

—for once, there was a link between the new funding given to create new jobs in Windsor and the Brampton plant.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

For anything less—

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

This was really important because, when you look at it—

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Would you—

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

We learned from 2009, after what the Conservatives did. At the time, there was no jobs guarantee.

We made sure that was the case.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I'm sorry. Were there executive compensation restrictions, as there were in 2009? Was there equity given to the government, as there was in 2009?

I'm sorry, Minister, but you can't compare those. Plus, it was 15 years ago.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Well, no. In 2009—

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

It was 15 years ago—