Ford government open to releasing GM Ingersoll contract amid oppostion calls
Premier Doug Ford appears open to the idea of publicly releasing the contract the Ontario government signed with General Motors for the now-defunct Brightdrop electric vehicle, after the automaker shut down production at its Ingelsoll location.
While the plant was originally shuttered in April, more than 1,200 employees were given layoff notices on Tuesday after GM officials announced the under-performing vehicle would be discontinued.
The move prompted political backlash from the Carney and Ford governments, which threatened to pursue legal action over the taxpayer-funded investments to retool the facility.
Both levels of government put up $259 million each in exchange for contractual guarantees from General Motors on employment and investments into the southwestern Ontario plant.
The Ford government, however, also raised eyebrows when Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli said his team was “poring over contracts” to look for leverage the province might have over the company.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said her party would “love to see the GM contract released” in order to give taxpayers a better look at the fine print.
“The premier [said] he’s going to take GM to court, over what?” Stiles said at Queen’s Park. “If there was something in the contract that he could rely on, I don’t know why he wouldn’t just be already using what he has there.”
Green Party leader Mike Schreiner echoed the call for the contract to be released, adding he wants to see whether the government included protection language in the agreement.
“When the government signed the contract, Greens were calling for protections for workers and protections for taxpayers and if Doug Ford failed to deliver that, then he needs to be held accountable for it,” Schreiner said.
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Ahead of a Wednesday cabinet meeting, Ford told the Queen’s Park Press Gallery he was open to releasing more details.
“Let’s look at the confidentiality agreement that we’ve signed, and we signed it along with the Federal government, and if we need to we’ll take action,” Ford said.
The Ontario Liberal party — which authorized $3.5 billion to General Motors in 2009, during the global recession, in exchange for 16 per cent ownership of the company’s North American production – called on the Ford government to be more proactive with the province’s auto deals.
“Yes, we should have the contract public, but maybe the premier could read the next one before the bad thing happens.”