A former Windsor-area MPP, now a senior representative for automaker Stellantis, faced sharp criticism from a federal committee after her unexplained absence from a crucial meeting about the company's publicly funded agreements.
Technical Glitches or Deliberate No-Show?
On Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates convened, expecting a virtual appearance from Teresa Piruzza, Stellantis's Director of External Affairs. Piruzza, who served as the Liberal MPP for Windsor West from 2011 to 2014, was scheduled to answer questions regarding the automaker's contracts with the federal government. However, she never logged on.
According to a statement from Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin, Piruzza was "ready and available" and had even completed a successful IT test with the committee's technical team beforehand. Gosselin blamed the no-show on unforeseen "technical issues" that prevented a connection, despite direct assistance from the committee's IT support.
Bipartisan Frustration Erupts
As the two-hour meeting progressed with no sign of the Stellantis representative, frustration among MPs from all parties mounted. Kelly McCauley, the committee chair and a Conservative MP from Edmonton, called the absence "stupefying."
The sentiment was echoed by Toronto Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, who voiced his extreme annoyance. "I understand they're working through the IT issues, but this is incredibly frustrating," Gasparro stated. "And I just want to reiterate for the record, it is at this point unacceptable."
In an emailed comment, MP Kathy Borrelli (C — Windsor Tecumseh Lakeshore) also expressed disappointment that the representative was unavailable to answer questions about the "long-awaited contracts."
Committee Issues Ultimatum
In response to the incident, the committee has issued a direct order for Stellantis to ensure a representative appears before them again. MPs have directed the automotive giant to return for another session before December 4, 2025. Failure to comply will result in the committee using its power to formally summon the representative, escalating the legal pressure on the company to testify.
This is not Teresa Piruzza's first major career move since her political tenure. After being ousted from her Windsor West seat by New Democrat MPP Lisa Gretzky in the 2014 provincial election, a social media campaign encouraged her to run for mayor of Windsor. Instead, she was appointed to an executive role at Chrysler Canada in August of that year, a company that later became part of the Stellantis group.
