Canada’s government must stop idling and finally prosecute Volkswagen for using secret software to cheat emissions tests, three leading environmental groups have said in strongly written letters to the federal environment minister.It has been nearly two years since the government announced it was investigating the German automaker for allegedly installing “defeat devices” in its diesel vehicles to circumvent environmental standards. That investigation is still ongoing.In the same period, regulators in the United States secured billions of dollars in penalties and settlements after the carmaker pleaded guilty to a long-running conspiracy that deceived customers and duped emissions standards.Roughly 105,000 of those same types of cars — Volkswagen and Audi vehicles with 2.0-litre diesel engines from model years 2009 to 2015 — were sold or leased in Canada. (Audi is owned by Volkswagen.)The environmental advocates, which are critical of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s handling of the government’s probe, asked Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to take charge.“It would be a gross abdication of the minister’s duty if Canada were not to investigate and prosecute VW as the U.S. has done, and extract from it a substantial penalty, the proceeds of which could be used for the good of Canada’s people, environment and industry,” say the letters to McKenna, dated June 14.The letters sent to Ottawa last week call the “slowness” of the government’s current investigation “both unimpressive and unacceptable.”A spokesperson for McKenna said it would be inappropriate to comment “as there is an ongoing investigation.”A Volkswagen spokesperson said the company is co-operating with the environment ministry’s investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment on the probe itself.Under Canadian environmental law, the letters sent last week ...
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