Quebec’s failed auto insurance digital shift could cost $500M, inquiry hears

Auditor general Alain Fortin was the first to testify into the SAAQclic fiasco commission.

A public inquiry examining a digital shift by Quebec’s automobile insurance board is hearing it could end up costing the province nearly half-a-billion dollars, more than initially planned.

Alain Fortin, Quebec’s interim auditor general, testified today that cost overruns could mean the final tally for the so-called SAAQclic project will come in at $1.1 billion by 2027.

Fortin told the inquiry today the bill could be even higher if the province aims to get all the services it wanted in the beginning.

The failed digital transformation, an estimated $500-million over budget, was supposed to provide a one-stop platform for renewing licences, scheduling driving tests and performing other tasks without needing an in-person meeting.

But the system has not worked properly and Premier François Legault’s government established a public inquiry commission to shed light on what went wrong.

The commission of inquiry, headed by Montreal municipal court Judge Denis Gallant, must submit its report by Sept. 30.

– This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2024.