February 19th, 2019 - 8:54pm

Auto and Manufacturing

                                                                                     David Patterson Refusing to Accept the Facts

Ottawa– On Monday, Brian Masse, MP (Windsor West), along with Tracey Ramsey, MP (Essex), and Cheryl Hardcastle, MP (Windsor-Tecumseh) held a press conference demanding that the federal government limit all future GM vehicle purchases to those built in Canada.

At the press conference, as quoted from the Windsor Star, Masse said, “In the last 10 years the federal government, under your taxpayer dollars, spent around $350 million on vehicle purchasing federally alone. We shouldn’t spend a single dollar on those vehicles that are made in Mexico or internationally because we have an auto crisis domestically.”

Federal open data revealed contracts awarded by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) on behalf of federal departments and agencies since January 2009. It included a list of vehicle purchases from General Motors of Canada in Oshawa, and a list of vehicle purchases from GM dealerships across Canada.

The data exposed that the federal government purchased more than $320 million worth of GM vehicles. Approximately $285 million was spent on vehicles from the Oshawa facility and another $38 million was spent on vehicles from GM dealerships across the country.

In response, David Patterson, GM Vice President Corporate Affairs, demonstrated his confusion and misunderstanding on Twitter by making claims none of the NDP MPs said.:

@dpatterson1

Replying to @SMasottiCTV @NDP and 7 others

“Fact check time! The NDP claim made today is wildly inaccurate. A small number and % of GM vehicles sold in Canada are made in Mexico. NDP numbers imply each vehicle sold for over $500,000. Don’t think so! Don’t risk your credibility reporting this stuff.”

“Nonsense is a making false statement that $320 million in Mexico vehicles sold to government of Canada last 10 yrs. Overstated 6-7 times over. FACT Less than 1/10 of sales to Cdn govt over past decade from Mexico. FACT GM invested / contributed $100 Bil in Canada since 2009.”

On Tuesday morning Masse was interviewed on AM 800 on the same subject where he reiterated the same demand that Canadian tax dollars be spent on Canadian built vehicles, including Canadian built GM products.

Afterwards David Patterson continued his confusion and misunderstanding of the number of vehicles GM sold to the federal government, on Twitter and on the radio.

“It is unfortunate and disappointing that the GM corporate vice president doesn’t even know what GM has sold the federal government over the last ten years. He could have just called his sales department,” Masse stated. “What is troubling is that this raises doubts about GM’s credibility with regards to his claims about jobs and investments. But then GM made up promises to autoworkers in Oshawa three years ago and now they are revealed to be make-believe as they layoff thousands of Canadians.”