Quebec auto board sorry for online platform boondoggle, aims to regain public trust

MONTREAL — Quebec’s Treasury Board president said Tuesday the government will consider all legal and disciplinary recourse against those responsible in the automobile insurance board’s botched rollout of its online platform.

France-Élaine Duranceau told a news conference Tuesday they will aim to hold people accountable for the lack of transparency and financial mismanagement.

That could include everyone from executives who oversaw the digital shift at the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, and perhaps even the private firms that were hired to put the SAAQclic platform together.

“We are evaluating all possible legal recourse, both against individuals and firms that were involved in the work at the SAAQ,” Duranceau told a news conference in Quebec City.

A public inquiry overseen by Judge Denis Gallant found in its final report that Quebec’s automobile insurance board lied to the provincial government to conceal exploding costs in the creation of the agency’s online platform.

The final report said officials at the auto insurance board undertook a conscious effort to mislead the public about the total cost of the project.

Quebec’s premier launched the inquiry following a February 2025 auditor general report that found the new platform was expected to cost taxpayers at least $1.1 billion by 2027 — $500 million more than originally planned.

It’s unclear what legal action could be taken. According to the inquiry’s 586-page report, SAAQ executives and staff, including those on the board of directors, “enjoy immunity from prosecution for all official acts performed in the exercise of their duties” per the boards own rules.

Also, the main executives named in the report are all retired. Still Duranceau, who was joined by Transport Minister Jonatan Julien and Cybersecurity Minister Gilles Belanger on Tuesday, said government lawyers would study possible legal and civil recourse.

Duranceau will also be responsible for ensuring Gallant’s 26 recommendations be implemented. She also noted that current investigations by the province’s financial regulator, or Autorité des marchés financiers, and the province’s anti-corruption unit, known as UPAC, could reveal more information.

The ministers discussed the need for legislative changes to improve the oversight of large-scale digital transformation projects within the public sector. That extends to the private firms hired on such projects.

“I think these companies also need to do some soul-searching about how they manage their IT projects because ultimately, it’s always the same person who pays, right? The taxpayer,” Duranceau said.

“And I think taxpayers are fed up with paying for IT projects that don’t go as planned and always end up costing more than expected.”

In 2017, the SAAQ awarded a 10-year contract to a consortium formed by LGS, a subsidiary of IBM, and SAP to create and manage the platform, supervised by the Crown corporation.

While the costs were vastly underestimated, Gallant also found the long-term contract left the SAAQ dependent on a single entity and made it impossible for the Crown corporation to walk away even as the project encountered severe difficulties.

An IBM spokeswoman said Tuesday it was reviewing the Gallant report.

“We acknowledge the work undertaken by the Gallant Commission and are reviewing their findings carefully,” said Lorraine Baldwin.

“Our engagement followed a thorough and rigorous procurement process, and we acted in good faith in accordance with the law, our contract, and applicable professional standards.”

For its part, SAP said in a statement it co-operated with the Gallant Comission’s investigation.

“SAP is committed to the highest standards of ethics and compliance in all the markets in which it operates, and maintains a robust compliance management system to ensure that the company is compliant with all laws and regulations,” the company said.

Recommendations from Gallant’s report include requiring the province’s Cybersecurity Department to be involved in any digital transformation projects. The report also suggests tightening the governance rules for state-owned corporations and promoting transparency and access to reliable information. It also suggests capping the costs and term of such projects going forward.

The trio of CAQ ministers also brushed aside questions about ministerial responsibility, with Julien reluctantly acknowledging that some CAQ ministers “could have been more meticulous.”

The inquiry didn’t spare politicians from blame, however, saying elected officials and certain public servants did, at various times, obtain reliable information about the problems at the auto board.

Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters in Quebec City not to get sidetracked when it comes to government responsibility.

Gallant noted in his report that, contrary to the Legault government’s claims, several ministers and the premier’s office were aware of the cost overruns since 2023, well before the auditor general’s report.

“I found that there’s been a lot of talk about the SAAQ lying, but there’s a whole other side of the government that lies and conceals information,” St-Pierre Plamondon said.

Meanwhile, the SAAQ apologized in a statement late Monday night, admitting its failures have contributed to undermining the public’s confidence in their institutions, adding that the corporation will work to regain trust.

Serge Lamontagne, the president and CEO of the board since January, says the corporation will fully co-operate with the government in implementing the inquiry’s recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2026.

— with files from Caroline Plante in Quebec City.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press