URGENT ADVISORY TO CANADIAN AFTERMARKET

Immediate Action on Right to Repair Required

The Automotive Industries Association of Canada is urging members of the Canadian automotive aftermarket to ask Federal MPs to support the Right to Repair Bill.

Bill C-273 – The Right to Repair Bill, is slated to go before the House March 5 for debate, and the association is asking members of the aftermarket to visit the Right to Repair website  and click on the Take Action/Grassroots campaign section to deliver a letter to their local Member of Parliament and even arrange for a meeting to explain the issue and ask for their support prior to this date.

More than 600 letters have already been sent to MPs talking about the importance of the issue to consumer choice and asking them to support the bill.

“Our goal is a minimum of three contacts per MP,” says association president Marc Brazeau. “The general idea is that if an MP has three points of contact, all of a sudden that issue becomes a high priority. This is our opportunity, our call to action. This is our time to act. We have made it easy for you.”

The Bill was first introduced as Bill C-425, An Act to amend the Competition Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (right to repair). Following the recent election of Parliament, on January 29, 2009, the Private Member’s Bill was re-introduced in the House of Commons as Bill C-273.

Sources within the association have stated that this is one of the best opportunities to have a bill voted on, as it is placed high on the docket, and the current economic conditions combined with the desire to bail out auto companies, act in the aftermarket’s favour.

However, there are still tremendous gaps in support. While more than 200 of the 300-plus seats in parliament have received letters, only 71 in Ontario and only 48 in Quebec have been contacted.

Of particular issue is the fact that virtually the entire Bloc Quebecois vote will likely be required to pass the bill as it enjoys strong support within the NDP, reasonable support among Liberals, but only light support by Conservative MPs.

For more information and to have a letter sent to your local MP, visit www.righttorepair.ca for more information.