QUÉBEC — An opposition party in Quebec says the government must implement measures to prevent cost overruns before launching itself into any new digitization projects.
The party, Québec Solidaire, made the call for the moratorium in reaction to the ongoing public inquiry into the province’s auto insurance board.
The provincially owned corporation has been mired in controversy for months, after Quebec’s auditor general found that its online platform SAAQclic was expected to cost $500 million more than expected.
“Currently, 14 digital transformation projects are over budget by more than 30 per cent,” party spokesperson Ruba Ghazal said in a statement Sunday. “It infuriates me to think that right now, the next SAAQclic scandal is likely unfolding right now before our very eyes.”
The online platform was aimed at simplifying appointment scheduling and other routine tasks, but wasn’t as effective as hoped. In 2023, problems with accomplishing basic tasks using the platform led to backlogs, prompting crowds of drivers to line up at offices all over the province.
Ghazal said all new digitization contracts should be put on hold until recommendations from the inquiry have been issued and put in place.
The opposition party is also calling for a pause on the approval of any new cost overruns, unless they are first approved through a vote by elected officials at the National Assembly.
She called attention an ongoing project regarding the government’s provincewide integrated radio communication network, one she says was initially anticipated to cost $150 million, but which is now projected to cost more than $1 billion. She said the hiring of pricey external consultants is to blame.
“It’s no surprise we see cost overruns when salaries for consultants in the private sector are on average twice as high as those of in-house staff,” she said.
Ongoing investigations into the auto insurance board by anti-corruption police in the province and its public procurement authority also need to conclude before any moratorium on issuing new contracts is lifted, the party spokesperson says.
The public inquiry into the auto insurance board, the Gallant Commission, is expected to resume in Quebec City on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2025.
The Canadian Press
