Ottawa, Ontario — The Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) was in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, alongside a team of 20 association members from across Canada, to bring the struggle for the right to repair to the steps of parliament.
The association’s message to MPs and policymakers was clear: “Give Canadian consumers a choice when it comes to auto repair,” AIA wrote in its press release.
AIA Canada president J.F. Champagne was supported by executives from numerous influential automotive companies operating in Canada, including representatives from several collision repair banners, for a day that began with parliamentary breakfast, attended by 25 MPs, and included an all-party panel discussion.
Association members then broke off to meet one-on-one with the representatives of their respective local ridings to drill down the specifics of how consumers can be afforded greater choice on a community level.
“Automakers must share vehicle data with anyone the consumer chooses, which would remove the current practice where many automakers are making it more difficult, more expensive and sometimes impossible to access repair information and tools,” wrote AIA Canada in its press release.
This call-to-action extends to every single Canadian for AIA Canada, and as such, the association is also asking for individuals to reach out to their local MPs and insist that the right to repair be among their chief priorities.
AIA Canada even provided a sample social media message for people to tag their MP in and share:
“(tag your MP) Canadian consumers should have the right to choose who fixes their vehicle and who can access the data to do it. We support the @AIAofCanada push for #Right2RepairCA legislation to protect our $32 billion auto care industry and thousands of Canadian jobs.”
