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EDMONTON — The Alberta government is proposing new rules to give consumers more protection when buying vehicles, tickets, electronics and more.
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally introduced a bill Wednesday that, if passed, would create a so-called lemon law to give consumers some power to fight back when they purchase defective vehicles that can’t be properly repaired.
The bill also seeks to install a right-to-repair framework for consumer goods and equipment. And it grants the government the power to set price caps on ticket resales.
“It strengthens consumer protection, gives Albertans more control over what they own and removes unnecessary barriers,” Nally told reporters.
“When Albertans spend their hard-earned money, they deserve to know that we’ve got their back.”
The government said that under the lemon law, vehicle owners could to take court action to have a vehicle declared defective and seek remedies, like refunds or replacements, from a dealership or manufacturer.
It would apply to a three-year window from when a vehicle was first purchased or within the first 60,000 kilometres. A vehicle would qualify if a problem was unsuccessfully repaired three times or multiple issues were unsuccessfully repaired 12 times.
Nally said the government still has to do consultations for rules around ticket resales, such as for concerts and sporting events. He said the government has every intention of bringing in a price cap but needs to have discussions with resale platform companies first.
The bill would further require ticket resellers to be more transparent about pricing, he said.
The bill also sets the stage for a right-to-repair system.
Manufacturers would have to produce repair manuals and make tools and parts available to consumers and third-party repair service providers. Exactly which products covered would be determined later, but the government said it could cover appliances and electronics.
Nally said it would be a “game changer” for farmers, as they wouldn’t have to wait on manufacturers to fix equipment during the busy harvest season.
There’s no timeline for when regulations could be in place, but Nally said his office would be working “day and night.”
Opposition NDP Service Alberta critic Gurinder Brar said he’s glad to see many of the bill’s proposals. But he criticized the United Conservative Party government for voting down a similar private member’s bill that the NDP earlier tried to bring forward on ticket reselling.
That bill, tabled in the spring, would have stopped ticket platforms from charging fees when Albertans try to sell or transfer their tickets. It also would have required more transparency from resellers and guaranteed the advertised price.
Brar said he hopes the government continues to “steal” the NDP’s ideas.
“Do a better job and help Albertans save more money,” he said.
Nally’s bill also sets the stage for a future pilot project to let liquor stores sell lottery tickets, which the minister said is “common sense.”
And the bill would see the provincial surface rights board reconstituted.
The province amalgamated it with the provincial Land and Property Rights Tribunal in 2021. The government said the board, once operational again, would handle disputes over the use of private land, including unpaid oil and gas lease fees and taxes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2026.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
