A scandal in Québec that’s already sparked one government resignation is set to get a whole lot deeper.
Driving the news: Québec Premier François Legault will launch an independent public inquiry to clear up questions about the launch of SAAQclic — the online platform of the province’s auto licensing and insurance board — after a damning auditor general’s report.
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Launched in 2023, SAAQclic aims to let Quebecers do things like renew driving permits or pay for their licences online. However, the system has been plagued with problems.
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In addition to the public inquiry, there will be two other probes investigating the situation, one by Québec’s financial watchdog and one by its anti-corruption unit.
Catch-up: The report found that the auto board launched SAAQclic without completing proper testing, and that persistent issues have caused the project to go at least half a billion bucks over budget and has led to more people going in person to do their auto licensing chores.
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Accusations are flying about hidden info and conflicts of interest with contractors, but the report couldn’t conclude if ministers of Québec’s ruling party acted maliciously.
Why it matters: SAAQclic joins ArriveCan, Phoenix, eHealth, Connect Care, and many others on the list of Canadian governmental projects that were meant to make things easier but ended up causing headaches and costing millions more than they should have.—QH