Premier Legault calls for a public inquiry into SAAQclic

Quebec Premier François Legault wants to launch an independent public inquiry “as soon as possible” into the SAAQclic fiasco, which has made headlines in recent days.

In a lengthy post on X, the premier said he had given this directive to the Secretary General of the government.

“I asked him to draw inspiration from the proposals made by opposition parties and ensure the work complements that of the Auditor General and the Autorité des marchés publics,” he explained.

“I want this independent public inquiry to move quickly so we can finally get the full picture.”

The debacle at the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) has dominated discussions at the National Assembly since the Auditor General’s explosive report was released last week, revealing cost overruns of at least $500 million.

The premier wants to understand how such a “poorly prepared” project was launched in order to “avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.”

“If these inquiries reveal that action needs to be taken and those responsible need to be held accountable, we will do so. I will not hesitate. I have committed to ensuring our leaders are accountable, and I will keep that commitment,” he said, adding that he was taking the matter seriously.

The controversy has already claimed a political casualty, as Cybersecurity and Digital Minister Éric Caire resigned on Thursday in the wake of the debacle.

“You not only have the right to be angry, but you are right to be angry. The government will not shy away from its responsibilities. We will get to the bottom of this, analyze what went wrong, and make the necessary corrections,” the premier said in his post.

For Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal, “Launching a public inquiry into the SAAQclic fiasco was the only way for François Legault to avoid tarnishing his integrity and to shed light on the waste of $500 million in public funds.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 2, 2025.

Meanwhile, Quebec Conservative Party leader Éric Duhaime said the decision was “inevitable.”

“There’s no way this can turn into a two-year-long inquiry filled with bureaucratic recommendations that name no one and hold no politicians accountable,” he wrote on X.

“This needs to be a real effort to get to the bottom of things—not an excuse for the government to stop answering questions and claim it’s waiting for conclusions before commenting.”

Éric Caire, along with Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault and her predecessor François Bonnardel, have repeatedly stated they were unaware of the SAAQclic fiasco.

However, Le Devoir and Le Journal de Québec reported Thursday that discussions had taken place as early as 2022 between Caire and the SAAQ.

A ministerial order was later signed, allowing the state corporation to split a $222-million cost overrun into smaller amounts to keep it under the radar.

According to the Auditor General, this maneuver was carried out due to a perceived “high media and political risk” ahead of an election campaign.

Earlier this week, the Legault government refused to take responsibility for the scandal, instead blaming previous governments, both PQ and Liberal.