Public Safety committee  It was theft rates.

Public Safety committee  Sure.

Public Safety committee  I would say that automakers are already taking proactive steps now to harden and safeguard their vehicles. In terms of the activity that's been undertaken in the U.K., I'm vaguely familiar with that, but what I understand is that every solution has unintended consequences. Some of the unintended consequences that I'm aware of in the solution proposed in the U.K. is that some auto manufacturers have said it's not worth the cost of investing in that technology, at least for certain models.

Public Safety committee  If I could interject and answer your question....

Public Safety committee  Sure. You asked for a comparison. The National Insurance Crime Bureau in the United States stipulated that, from 2021 to 2022, their auto insurance theft rates increased by 10.4%. StatsCan reported an increase from 2021 to 2022 of 24%. For similar vehicles in both countries, there was twice the rate of increase in auto theft in Canada as there was in the United States, according to StatsCan and National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Public Safety committee  You're right. It's important to have coordination, networking and dialogue amongst all stakeholders. That's what we've been facilitating on our own through the association for the last number of months with police task forces right across the country. What the auto theft task forces have said to us is that, whenever they have a bust of a vehicle ring, they find not only vehicles but also counterfeit key fobs and devices that are used to copy keys and to interrogate the vehicles so they can start them.

Public Safety committee  I don't, but I think that reflects back on Mr. Shipley's comment. I can try to determine that amount for you. I guess it goes to the overall issue of affordability for Canadians. There is some cost associated with it for sure.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. What I would say is that automakers are continually hardening their vehicles. I'll give you one example of what some automakers are doing with respect to auto theft. The key fob predominantly has been identified as problematic with respect to vehicle theft in terms of the signal being intercepted between the home and the vehicle.

Public Safety committee  I certainly can't give you a dollar figure, but what I will say is that automakers are constantly hardening their systems against vehicle theft. Frankly, I think I resent and our members resent the implication others have made that, “Oh well, there was an immobilizer standard put in place in 2007 in Canada and nothing has been done since then.”

Public Safety committee  I can't give you that information.

Public Safety committee  I can't get Ford, GM and Chrysler, but I can maybe see what I can do about the other members.

Public Safety committee  If you look at the reality of where auto theft fits in the hierarchy of organized crime activity, my understanding is that it's third on their list now. The two things ahead of it are drugs and other such initiatives, including fentanyl. When you think about the consequences of being charged with drug possession or trafficking in drugs, I would say that maybe we need to look at similar types of provisions with respect to the consequences of being prosecuted for auto theft crimes.

Public Safety committee  Thank you, Chair. Thank you to the members of the committee for inviting me to appear before you today. My name is David Adams. I'm the president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada, which is a national trade association whose members include 15 of the world's most recognized automakers, representing 25 different brands, including Canada's two largest vehicle producers: Toyota and Honda.

International Trade committee  Well, we're all part of the same number.

International Trade committee  I would add that what seems evident in a lot of the strikes that we've witnessed beforehand is that a strike is almost a forgone conclusion before it ever even happens, so there's something else afoot that needs to be addressed in terms of labour relations between unions and management.