A pair of private member’s bills that are supposed to ensure farmers have more than one option for repairing their own equipment and to ensure that different brands of parts and machines can work together received their final approval in the Senate on Oct. 31.
The only step left in the approval process for Bills C-244 and C-294 is the formality of receiving the Governor General’s signature for Royal Assent.
Both bills were introduced in early 2022 and will amend the Copyright Act to allow Canadians to bypass digital “locks” for specific reasons.
C-244, introduced by Liberal MP Wilson Miao, is focused on allowing someone to circumvent internal software to diagnose, maintain, or repair a piece of equipment or technology, such as a phone, a car, or a tractor.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer’s C-294 is aimed at ensuring interoperability between different brands of equipment and parts. As a relevant example, the bill would ensure a combine header built by Honey Bee Manufacturing in Patzer’s riding in southwest Saskatchewan will still work with a green, yellow, red, or black combine.
“Many of our farms and fields are far from original equipment manufacturers’ designated repair services, many who have long waiting lists, leaving farmers with expensive downtime waiting for service,” says Roger Chevraux, chair of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, in a Nov. 1 release welcoming passage of the bills. “Canola farmers appreciate the broad support these bills received both in the House of Commons and the Senate. Ultimately, they will improve the competitiveness of Canadian farmers.”
“After years of advocacy, these bills provide farmers the ability to repair their own equipment, ensuring the continued functionality of the advanced technology essential to modern agriculture,” says Grain Growers of Canada, in a separate release also welcoming passage of both bills.
Grain Growers is thanking Miao and Patzer, along with Senators Colin Deacon and Leo Housakos, for their dedicated sponsorship and guidance of the legislation through Parliament.
While celebrating the passage of the federal bills, the national grain producer group is also calling on provincial governments to consider similar measures in their jurisdictions.
Farm equipment dealers spoke out against Bill C-244, arguing it would have unintended safety, environmental, and cybersecurity consequences. The North American Equipment Dealers Association raised concerns the bill would allow tractor owners to bypass internal computer settings that limit emissions and maximum speeds.
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