Transport Canada Minister Lisa Raitt wants to introduce legislation that will make it possible to force automakers into recalling defective vehicles.
“While manufacturers and importers actively issue recalls, the decision cannot rest exclsuively in the industry’s hands,” Raitt said in a news conference this week, according to Reuters.
Currently, automakers are required to notify consumers of defects in Canada, but the repairs themselves are actually voluntary. The federal government outlined the change in the 2015 budget, released last month.
While the legislation isn’t expected to pass before this October’s federal election, Raitt says she hopes opposition parties would consent and allow the bill to pass through Parliament before the summer break. Reuters says the Liberals and NDP support the principle behind strengthening recall rules, but remain skeptical over the idea of supporting a bill they have yet to see.
Raitt’s push comes after Takata significantly increased its defective airbag recall to cover nearly 34 million vehicles. In Canada, 1.5 million vehicles are affected.
