AIA Canada pressed the aftermarket’s position on right to repair before Quebec legislators as they study Bill 29 designed to enshrine right to repair in law in the province.

Invited to testify before the Committee on Labour and the Economy studying the bill, AIA Canada President and Chief Executive Officer, Jean-François Champagne, and the President of the Québec Division of AIA Canada, Élisabeth Lambert, urged Québec MPs to quickly adopt this historic piece of legislation.

“Quebec has a golden opportunity to lead the way in Canada in the right to repair in the automotive sector,” says Jean-François Champagne, President and CEO of AIA Canada

“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.”

On June 1 of this year, Québec 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.

The right to repair initiative is part of a global movement to allow consumers to decide where their vehicles—and many other products they use every day—can be repaired.

The move in Quebec comes as right to repair initiatives continue at the federal level in Canada, but also as right to repair legislation at the state level in the U.S. is under fire from automaker advocacy groups and some aftermarket groups seeking a continuation of voluntary agreements.

Right to Repair: important benefits within reach for Quebec

By passing this bill, says AIA Canada, Québec 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 Québec, where manufacturers and their dealers are absent, while promoting increased road safety.

Parliamentarians urged to act quickly on this Québec consensus

AIA Canada took advantage of its visit to a parliamentary committee 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.