NDP’s proposed right-to-repair legislation gives consumers options

The province introduced legislation Wednesday that would allow consumers to choose how repairs are made — and who does them — to many products they purchase.

It’s what Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu, who introduced the bill, said he’s aiming for.

The bill would mandate that suppliers and manufacturers of products sold to the public would need to ensure their parts, tools, software and manuals are available to the people who purchase their goods.

“We know costs are top of mind for families,” Sandhu said.

The change would enable independent garages, for example, to repair newer vehicles, ending the stranglehold dealerships have on that work, in many cases.

The Manitoba government will begin consultations on details — such as how the measure will be enforced — following the bill’s passage, Sandhu said, adding the NDP will consult widely with industry and consumer groups.

Government will begin with household appliances and agriculture equipment, he said. The proposed legislation is based on Quebec’s right-to-repair law, enacted last year.

Keystone Agricultural Producers has been asking provincial and federal governments for such a change, said president Jill Verwey.

“It’s a strong move forward,” she said. “Even a simple (service) call out to the farm could run into thousands of dollars.”

There are service-provider transportation costs, plus the hourly repair rate. Going to a dealership can also be expensive, and fixes may not be done quickly, Verwey said.

“(To) be able to do those repairs is an important step to being able to control expenses, direct expenses, on the farm,” she said, adding producers and their staff often take training to perform repairs.

Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, questioned where liability would fall if customers don’t follow a company’s instructions.

The proposed legislation could create a “patchwork policy” where national and international businesses have, potentially, more compliance costs in Manitoba. It could weaken the province’s attractiveness for business investment, Remillard said.

“I do have some concern, if ‘do it yourself’ became standard operating on things such as appliances that potentially become resale items,” he said. “We all know horror stories of ‘do it yourself.’”

More consultation leading up to the bill’s introduction could have identified some of these issues, Remillard said.

Konrad Narth, the Progressive Conservative MLA for La Vérendrye, agreed that more consultation was needed ahead of time.

The federal government passed a similarly themed law in 2024 around high-tech goods and copyright provisions. The law allows consumers and repair workers to bypass digital locks in order to make software fixes on vehicles, refrigerators and more.

— With files from Canadian Press

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com