Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise to speak to this issue. I believe when private members' business was first designed some decades ago, this was the way it was meant to work. A member of the House of Commons was able to receive ideas from their constituency, from people interested in the issues upon which the member was elected, and then present ideas to the House for consideration.
The right to repair bill proposed by my hon. colleague from Windsor West accomplishes a number of things that go to the heart of what it is to be a New Democrat, and that is the idea of consumer advocacy.
We see around the House of Commons and in Parliament many groups advocating for many things. Many outside lobbyists spend a great deal of time, money and effort trying to influence and convince members of Parliament of their issue and their slant on that issue. If people are in the oil and gas sector or some sectors in pharmaceuticals, they can spend a great deal of money without the need to have a great deal of Canadians on their side. They simply can have a limited number of partners, go forth and spend much money on dinners and cocktails.
In going through some of my emails this afternoon, I note that average every day ordinary Canadians hearing about the issue are writing asking how this thing works and how they can we make it better.
The NDP has done this on ATM fees, interest rates on VISAs and Mastercards, on the ripoff of consumers at the gas pumps. We have time and again stood up for the folks who do not necessarily have a lobby group organized around them. They are people who pay their taxes, who go to work, who get their kids up to go to school. They have to deal with everyday life. They do not have associations or groups of people willing to try to influence members of Parliament. This is the role New Democrats have taken on, not just in this Parliament, but in many parliaments before.
In advocating for the right to repair, the member for Windsor West has been able to bring together an unlikely consortium of groups and individuals represented in the millions by these associations, the Canadian Automobile Association, the Association of Retired Persons, Pollution Probe, environmental groups, people interested in making things cleaner, greener and more fair for Canadian consumers when it comes to repairing their cars.
There will be contention around the bill, and we have heard some of those contentious pieces already. It is incumbent upon all members of the House that if they agree with the principle that is provided here, which is to allow for the free and fair distribution of information about how to fix a car or truck, then that idea should be promoted to committee.
At committee, we can hear from witnesses on what the repercussions may or may not be for certain sectors. At the very least, we can look at the listing of groups that are interested in hearing about this, that have both direct connection to the automobile sector and that are more tangential, like the environmental groups. Then we can look at our in boxes, phone messages and letters from constituents who, when they hear about the issue as promoted by the member for Windsor West, think it is a good idea. Why does Parliament not do what Parliament so rarely does, which is work together on behalf of ordinary working people to get something positive and constructive done in this place.
It is very easy to tune into the evening news. We can listen to the Prime Minister on a daily basis rattling his sabre and screaming over the heads about the need for another election and that it all must end. It is destructive debate. The “my way or the highway” approach of government is not in the best interests of the country, particularly at this time.
I note the desperate economic times and the fact that Canadians are scrambling to keep it together. When one or more members of a household have lost their jobs or have had their employment severely reduced, or the when the quality of their employment is severely reduced, they come to us. I hope members are in their constituency offices listening to these families and individuals. They are saying that making it to the end of the month is becoming more and more difficult.
I represent a rural riding in Canada, the great northwest of British Columbia, the entire quarter of that province. I have to travel approximately two hours, 220 kilometres, to get to the car dealership for the most basic repairs to keep the standard required of the car I leased a number of years ago. That is a simple fact of life for many rural Canadians who do not have dealerships in every community.
When those dealerships are holding onto the manual and people walk into an independent dealership needing a small repair, they are unable to get that repair done and unable to have the servicing they need. As the member from Windsor pointed out, people near the border who have the same vehicle from the same manufacturer simply go across the border and experience another reality entirely. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Canadians realize this, and they want it fixed. It is one of those issues that one does not realize until one bumps into it. A lot of Canadians who live in a large metropolis where it is very easy to get to dealerships may not have faced this situation, the moment when they hop across to the repair shop down the road, a shop where they have some relationship and trust with the mechanic, and are told that the car simply can't be fixed because, in this modern age of the Internet and information being everywhere all the time, the mechanic cannot get access to fix the car. They are told they will have to go over there, that they have no consumer choice, that they have no right to repair with the company they choose.
It baffles many when they step back and ask why this situation exists. What is the role of government in this place? What is the foundational and functional role of government?
As I pointed out at the beginning of my comments, when it was around ATM fees and interest rates on credit cards, when it was on the measurement of gas at the gas pump, with some companies jimmying with it a little, and government throws its hands up and says it is not its duty or responsibility, one wonders what its duty or responsibility is.
If basic consumer protection is not part of a government's mandate, then what is the mandate? Are these folks just here as sleeping gatekeepers who no longer pay attention to what is going on?
One of my hon. colleagues is suggesting that the government's role is to listen. I would then suggest that it listen, because on this piece of legislation people are saying they would like that right. They would like the government to consider that option. I am hearing support. I could not quite decipher and parse the government's words. I know we will be hearing from more members as to whether they are supportive or not.
I suggest there will be some sort of fierce negotiations going on in the lobby as this bill comes to a vote, but I encourage members, even those from the Conservative Party who have some concern, to look at the merits of this bill. I encourage them to hear the hopes of their constituents, those within the sector as well as those who just own a car in Canada, are hoping to buy a Canadian-made car, or are hoping to help that part of the economy, that there is not going to be some sort of extra penalty.
It is important for folks to realize just how large this market is. We take a step back and realize that the aftermarket in Canada is a $16 billion market with 225,000 Canadians employed. About 40%, about 90,000 of them, are general automotive service technicians, and they are very well-trained people.
For those of us who have lived in other countries and have had the misfortune in certain nations to try to get a car repair, it is a worrisome prospect. In Canada, we actually enjoy an extremely high level of service, both in the dealerships and in the independents.
Having at least a few measures and rules in place that allow us some protection as consumers to get good service for fair pay and fair price actually leads to a productive economy, whereas in a lot of other countries in the world, it is hit-and-miss and the buyer must beware at all times.
For those areas of our country and those constituencies that are very hard hit, which I would assume is almost everywhere right now, this measure does offer some hope. It offers some hope particularly to people in those rural sectors of the country who do not have immediate access to a dealership because they are three or four or five hours down the road from the dealership that offered the car and model that was best for their family,
The nuanced government concerns presented so far can be ameliorated. There are ways to work this through.
Again I congratulate my colleague from Windsor for figuring this out, for presenting to the House of Commons a good idea, an idea we are supporting, an idea that will be accepted and encouraged by Canadians.