TORONTO — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says a government grant of up to $85.8 million to Fiat Chrysler to support production of a plug-in hybrid electric minivan is not “corporate welfare.”Wynne made the announcement today at the Fiat Chrysler Automotive Research and Development Centre in Windsor. When Ontario sold its GM and Chrysler shares, it gained about $1.1 billion on its original $4.8-billion bailout package to the two automakers. The government says the investment for the Chrysler Pacifica will safeguard the Windsor assembly plant, where Chrysler added 1,200 new jobs on top of 4,000 existing positions to produce the minivan. Wynne is set to meet later Wednesday in Detroit with Ford Motor Company executive vice president Joseph Hinrichs and Michigan Gov. RelatedEconomic Development Minister Brad Duguid says Chrysler will have to submit invoices to the provinces of investments they have made in order to get the grant money.

Source: National Post June 15, 2016 13:41 UTC