Thank you, Derek.
Mr. Chair, honourable committee members, my name is Tyler Threadgill. I'm the vice-president of government affairs for LKQ Corporation, working across Canada and in the United States. Thank you for having us here today to share our thoughts on this important piece of legislation.
Bill C-244 is integral to protecting not only Canadian consumers but Canadian small business owners. Our goal is to develop a framework that allows repair and maintenance data to be shared with the automotive aftermarket and a vehicle owner's repair shop of choice. Specifically, we believe the inclusion of a right-to-repair regime for the automotive diagnostic, repair and service sector is imperative to keeping up with the ever-changing automotive industry.
As Derek alluded to, in 2009, the CASIS agreement was reached, which would allow the automotive aftermarket to access important repair and maintenance information. Similarly, a memorandum of understanding was reached by the same parties in the United States about five years later. However, there were unforeseen flaws in this agreement. They did not account for various technological advances. For instance, when these agreements were signed, in order to access vehicle data, a computer needed to be plugged into a car. Now vehicle data is sent through a telematic system that transmits data wirelessly to a server managed by the manufacturer, a process that was not around when these agreements were signed.
To remain up to speed in this technologically evolving landscape and safeguard access to vehicle data by the independent aftermarket, Bill C-244 should take into account the following concepts:
Vehicles compile extraordinary amounts of data, such as where you go and how fast you drive. It's a lot of personal information. I want to be very clear: We do not want that information. What we're looking for is the aftermarket having access to vehicle repair and maintenance data that is necessary to repair a car.
Cybersecurity is another key component to consider. This data needs to be sent in a safe, readable format for all technicians to access.
I'd like to reiterate the industry's goal: We are asking for legislation that maintains the historical status quo in the repair and maintenance market.
This is a time of tremendous technological advancement. It is critical that legislation keep pace to ensure that Canadians' choices and rights remain protected.
Thank you again for your time. We welcome any questions and look forward to working with you on this important issue.