Coalition Avenir Québec leader Christine Fréchette is rejecting suggestions that an IT project in the health-care system will cost a billion dollars. Radio-Canada published a report earlier this week suggesting Fréchette’s government had disregarded an analysis that suggested that the Santé Québec project known as SIFA could cost $1 billion rather than the $96 million that was initially estimated. Cybersecurity Minister France-Élaine Duranceau responded to the reporting on Monday, saying the initial price estimate for the project was inaccurate. Fréchette told reporters after Wednesday’s leaders debate that the project was under control and the government will not be spending anywhere near a billion dollars. She said the figure appeared in one scenario but does not reflect the cost of the project. She said her cabinet pre-authorized $329 million of spending in July, adding that the health agency will need to seek authorization for any additional funds. Members of the opposition parties quickly accused Fréchette’s government of overspending, and compared the situation to a previous cost overrun scandal involving the province’s auto insurance board. Fréchette said after the debate that “we’re not at all in a scenario where there will be a billion dollars spent, absolutely not. “That’s a figure that appeared in one of the scenarios, but we are not in that scenario because we actually took charge of that file.” Duranceau argued that the new SIFA system will generate savings of $1.2 billion by replacing 41 outdated systems.
