FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2019
Despite “for the people” tagline, Conservatives side with tech giants and vote down bill that would enhance consumer choice
QUEEN’S PARK—Today, Conservative MPPs chose to side with big business and giant technology monopolies against the interests of everyday Ontario consumers, charged Michael Coteau, Liberal MPP for Don Valley East, following a second-reading vote on his right-to-repair bill in the Legislature this afternoon.
“Rather than standing up for consumers, Doug Ford and his Conservatives have chosen to stand with big businesses and global tech giants,” said Coteau. “The Conservatives love to claim that they stand up for everyday Ontarians, but it’s clear that is just spin, and in fact they’d rather side with wealthy corporations than with the people of this province.”
“Ontario consumers deserve the right to repair their electronics where they choose,” said Coteau. “Without right to repair, consumers will continue to be forced to pay the original manufacturer exorbitant prices or to throw away damaged products because the cost of fixing the item is prohibitive. This is an unnecessary expense for consumers, a wasteful harm to our environment, and it limits the opportunities for small business repair shops.”
Michael Coteau’s “Bill 72: An Act to Amend the Consumer Protection Act 2002” was the first of its kind in Canada, bringing the right to repair discussion to Canada. Had the bill passed, it would have compelled personal electronics manufacturers to provide repair parts, schematics, diagnostic software, and other repair components at a reasonable cost to the consumer, or a repair shop. Similar right to repair legislation has been brought forward in at least 18 state legislatures in the United States. Coteau’s bill reached second reading with the support of the Liberal, New Democratic and Green Parties, making it one of the more successful attempts to pass this consumer protection into law.