At the invitation of the members of the Committee on Labour and the Economy, the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) testified, on September 12, in connection with the study of Bill 29.

On this occasion, AIA Canada’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Jean-François Champagne and the President of the Québec Division of AIA Canada, Élisabeth Lambert, planned to invite Québec MPs to quickly adopt this historic piece of legislation, which will enshrine the right to repair in the Act.

Access to data essential for automotive repairability

Note that on June 1, the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, introduced Bill 29: An Act to protect consumers from planned obsolescence and to promote the durability, repairability and maintenance of goods. In the automotive sector, the legislation proposes to break the monopoly of car manufacturers and their certified dealers on connected vehicle data. At present, the latter keep taking advantage of the lack of a framework adapted to the new reality of smart and electric vehicles to monopolize access to this data, which is essential for car maintenance and repair.

Right to Repair: important benefits within reach for Quebec

By passing this bill, Quebec parliamentarians will ensure that they maintain healthy competition in the auto care market, which guarantees competitive prices. They will also allow thousands of employees in the auto care sector in Quebec to leverage their expertise to work on the successful transport electrification. Finally, they will preserve an essential service offer in the regions of Quebec, where manufacturers and their dealers are absent, while promoting increased road safety.

Parliamentarians urged to act quickly on this Quebec consensus

In fact, AIA Canada’s intention was to take advantage of its visit to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, September 12, to encourage Quebec MPs to quickly pass this beneficial bill, whose measures are the subject of a broad consensus within Quebec society, and especially, to reject any attempt to alter or diminish its scope.

Quebec has a golden opportunity to lead the way in Canada in the right to repair in the automotive sector. In Quebec, we do not have automobile manufacturers, but we are the heart of the auto care industry. By quickly passing Bill 29, parliamentarians will protect consumers, help Quebec businesses and adapt the legislative framework to the requirements of transforming part of the vehicle fleet to hybrid and electric cars.”
— Jean-François Champagne, President and CEO of AIA Canada