AUTO LAYOFFS: ‘We’re going to get our money back,” minister warns GM and Stellantis

Federal Industry Minister Melanie Joly said Ottawa is going after General Motors to recover millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies and cutting back the number of vehicles the company can bring north of the border tariff-free, in response to the elimination of the third shift in Oshawa, which has thrown more than 500 workers out of work, along with hundreds more in the supply chain.

“We’re in an evaluation mode right now as to how much,” Joly told reporters at a scrum on Parliament Hill Tuesday. “A lot of our support was linked to production and if there’s no production there is no funding.”

The end of Bright Drop production at the GM plant in Ingersol was also cause for Ottawa to demand a return on their investment in GM and Joly didn’t leave out Stellantis, which eliminated Jeep production at its Brampton plant.

“We’re going to get our money back from Stellantis and from GM.”

The layoffs in Oshawa after GM eliminated the overnight shift at Oshawa Assembly on Friday was front and centre for the minister, who said her staff is working on a strategy right now.

“We know our auto workers are right now feeling the brunt of the U.S. unjustified and unjustifiable tariffs,” she said, adding she has been in contact with her provincial economic development counterpart in Vic Fedeli, as well as Ontario Premier Doug Ford on the issue. “We’re trying to keep auto workers affected by the layoffs in Oshawa at the core of the new investment we’re working on.”

“We want to find solutions for the auto workers.”

Joly, who told reporters she has also spoken with senior management at GM and Stellantis, said Ottawa is also reducing the number of tariff-free vehicles GM can import from the U.S. in retaliation for the job cuts in Oshawa.

“They shut down Ingersoll and now they’ve gone after the third shift in Oshawa.”

The details to the economic strategy Joly’s government will be unveiled soon, she told reporters at the scrum in Ottawa.

“When we’re ready, you’ll be the first to know.”