Public inquiry into SAAQclic debacle begins today. Here's a recap of how we got here

Hénia Ould-Hammou · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A nationalist enquiry into the disastrous rollout of Quebec's automobile security board's online platform — SAAQclic — is opening today. 

Since its motorboat successful 2023, SAAQclic has been plagued by a drawstring of failures, including a rocky launch that led to a customer work crisis and a $500-million outgo overrun, revealed precocious successful a scathing study by the auditor general. 

The enquiry is aiming to shed light connected who is liable for the fiasco. But adjacent the enquiry itself is mired successful controversy, with questions swirling astir the impartiality of those starring it.

Here's a breakdown of however we got here. 

Start of the SAAQclic saga

In February 2023, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) debuted its online portal, centralizing astir of its services into a azygous platform.

However, the motorboat didn't spell arsenic expected. 

People crossed the state had trouble accessing the platform, and for weeks, frustrated drivers could beryllium seen lining up successful the acold extracurricular the SAAQ's offices arsenic the method issues persisted.

Some car dealers were adjacent incapable to present vehicles to their clients due to the fact that they couldn't implicit the registration procedure. 

Shortly aft the deployment of the platform, Premier François Legault expressed his dissatisfaction with the integer transition, calling the concern "unacceptable" and demanding change.

Auditor wide investigation

In April 2024, Quebec's auditor wide Guylaine Leclerc launched an probe into the rollout of SAAQclic, inviting the nationalist to stock their experiences.

The study that emerged connected Feb.20, 2025 landed similar a bombshell. 

WATCH | Auditor wide issues scathing report: 

The study revealed, among different things, that the existent outgo of the SAAQ's digitization effort  had astir doubled to $1.1 cardinal with nary tangible results to warrant it. The strategy inactive fails to relation arsenic intended. 

Leclerc's study besides showed that decision-makers disregarded wide informing signs indicating the strategy was not acceptable for launch, with companies flagging problems with the portal. 

She noted that less than 80 per cent of the required tests had been completed, adding that the rushed motorboat accrued the hazard of fraud and errors.

In the audit, the SAAQ defended itself. It acknowledged the findings but argued that lawsuit restitution accrued since the integer transformation.

Transport curate says she was misled

After the study came out, Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault accused the bureaucrats successful complaint of the SAAQ of deliberately misleading her and different elected officials astir the agency's fiscal concern and the implementation of SAAQclic, calling the report's findings "outrageous." 

She opened an interior probe into SAAQclic astatine the extremity of February and besides contacted Quebec's anti-corruption squad, the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC), after she said she learned it was looking into the matter.

Quebec Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel also said she asked the Autorité des marchés publics (AMP), the bureau that oversees nationalist contracts, to behaviour its ain investigation. 

Current president and CEO of the SAAQ Éric Ducharme acknowledged that the deficiency of transparency, particularly from a nationalist organization, was unacceptable. But helium justified the $500 cardinal outgo overrun by attributing it to aboriginal attraction expenses.

Éric Caire, Quebec's curate liable for cybersecurity and integer technology, resigned after facing aggravated disapproval successful the aftermath of the report's release.

Controversy implicit nationalist inquiry

In aboriginal March, after mounting governmental pressure, Legault ordered an autarkic nationalist enquiry into the SAAQclic debacle.

Starting Thursday, an autarkic committee volition statesman its enactment to place the flaws that led to this situation, propose solutions to usher authorities nationalist policies and assistance restore public trust.

Denis Gallant, seat of the SAAQclic inquiry, is expected to present his opening statement. However, his assignment has drawn criticism, with immoderate raising concerns implicit a imaginable struggle of involvement owed to his past nonrecreational ties to LeBel, Quebec's treasury committee president. Both were prosecutors astatine the Charbonneau Commission from 2011 to 2014.

According to Radio-Canada, LeBel besides admitted to having meal with Gallant and different erstwhile colleagues from the Charbonneau Commission arsenic precocious arsenic March. 

Quebec's absorption parties have called for Gallant's recusal, arsenic portion of his occupation consists of investigating the Treasury Board's decisions, including LeBel's, said Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. 

In a quality scrum successful March, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette argued that the nexus betwixt Gallant and LeBel was nationalist cognition and posed nary problem.

In a quality release, Legault's bureau explained that Gallant's probe volition beryllium "complementary" to the auditor general's report. 

"Autonomous" and "independent," it volition "carry retired its functions successful specified a mode arsenic not to interfere with immoderate ongoing oregon aboriginal investigations," adds the release.

Gallant's study is owed by Sept. 30, 2025.