Carney aware of 'some aspects' of Stellantis auto plant sale, but says company still broke deal

Peter Zimonjic · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 12, 2026 8:46 AM EST | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that he had been informed of "some aspects" of Stellantis's plan to sell a Brampton, Ont., auto plant to Canadian armoured ⁠vehicle maker Roshel Inc. before the deal was announced by the automaker earlier this week. 

"Being informed or being aware of some aspects is not the same as Stellantis providing a global solution for those workers at the plant, which is their obligation," Carney said while at a European Political Community meeting in Dublin, Ireland. 

Stellantis and Roshel signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the potential sale in September. The prime minister did not say on Thursday how long he was aware of the deal or what aspects he was aware of.

More than 2,000 workers at the Stellantis's Brampton plant have been out of work since the company halted operations in 2023 to retool the facility to produce the Jeep Compass. 

Carney said that while selling the plant is a "partial solution" for some of the workers who lost their jobs, it leaves others out in the cold. 

"We will pursue all of this. A partial solution is a step, it is not a global solution. That is a betrayal," he said.

• Ottawa had been aware of Stellantis-Roshel talks for months, source says

• Stellantis auto plant closure in Brampton a 'betrayal' to all Canadians, Carney says

The prime minister made the comments a day after reports that his office and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's office had been aware of the details of what was going to be made public for months. 

A spokesperson for Joly told CBC News on Wednesday that she "had no part in negotiating the deal with Stellantis or Roshel" and didn't meet with Roshel.

When Stellantis announced the sale earlier this week, Carney said "the situation in the Brampton plant is unacceptable." 

"It violates the obligations that Stellantis has under several agreements, but to be more fundamental, it's a betrayal of the workers as it is a betrayal of the obligations to Canada and by extension to all Canadians."

Carney explained on Thursday that Stellantis has an obligation to "all of the workers" at the plant.

"That's the responsibility of Stellantis, that's the responsibility they made multiple times, including in the battery deal that they signed with the government," he said. 

Chinese investment in Canada possible: Carney

Stellantis paused the retooling plan at the Brampton auto plant in early 2025, announcing in October of that year that the Jeep Compass would be built at the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois instead.

The Brampton plant's future was left in limbo until Monday, when Stellantis announced it was selling the facility to Roshel in a deal that could see Stellantis lease some of the property back.

After announcing the plan, Stellantis issued a statement on Tuesday saying it would voluntarily pay the government subsidies back, which amount to at least $220 million so far. 

Joly is holding a meeting of all stakeholders in Toronto on Thursday in an attempt to find a way forward for laid-off Stellantis workers.

WATCH | CBC speaks with Flavio Volpe about funding contract given to Stellantis by government:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote a letter to Carney on Tuesday — a copy of which has been obtained by CBC News — warning against the possibility that the plant would be used to assemble "Chinese-made knock-down kits," where a Chinese auto manufacturer imports parts from overseas just to be assembled in Canada.

Asked about that possibility on Thursday, Carney didn't specifically address the assembly of kit-cars, saying only that his government wants "real opportunity" for auto workers with existing partners, but that Chinese investment in Canada's auto sector remains a possibility. 

"The extent to which there's Chinese investment depends on a variety of factors. It will be one of the discussions with [Chinese] President Xi," Carney said. 

The prime minister is currently on a world tour from Europe to Asia, where he will attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on Nov. 18 and 19, where he is expected to meet privately with Chinese President Xi Jinping.