SAAQclic: PLQ calls for second investigation by National Assembly Commission

Back in the National Assembly after a two-week parliamentary recess, the Liberal opposition is bringing the SAAQclic issue back to the forefront.

Its parliamentary leader, Monsef Derraji, will plead Tuesday afternoon for another investigation into a possible second contempt of Parliament.

An investigation is already underway at the National Assembly Committee targeting Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault, who failed to submit an annual SAAQ report within the prescribed deadline.

The Liberals want this same committee to investigate the actions of SAAQ executives who allegedly misled parliamentarians, according to the Auditor General.

In her report last month, the AG found that the SAAQ had provided “incomplete” information to members of the Public Administration Committee (CAP) regarding its digital transformation.

“There is a risk of (…) two investigations at the National Assembly Committee.” “This is unprecedented in the history of Parliament,” Derraji emphasized in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“We want to shed full light on this fiasco, which has already cost us $1.1 billion,” he added.

The failed rollout of SAAQclic caused long lineups in front of branches in 2023 and cost $500 million more than expected, for a total that will exceed $1.1 billion in 2025, the AG estimated.

The CAQ government, which constantly insists it was “deceived,” has since appointed people involved in SAAQclic to other important positions in the government.

“This doesn’t add up,” Derraji said. “Where is (former SAAQ CEO) Denis Marsolais? He’s CEO of the Office de la protection des consommateurs.” (…) Those who misled them, well, they appointed them elsewhere.”

The Liberal House leader says he wants to get to the bottom of things; he is also leading a fight to have the minutes of the SAAQ board of directors’ meetings redacted.

He accuses the board of directors of having sought to protect the Coalition Avenir Québec by avoiding disclosing the cost overruns of the digital shift, in the midst of the 2022 election campaign.

On Tuesday afternoon, the leaders of each party will deliver their arguments regarding the Liberal Party’s request for an investigation, and the President of the National Assembly, Nathalie Roy, will then have to decide whether it is admissible.

If so, the National Assembly’s committee may have to determine whether there was actually contempt of Parliament; in which case, Derraji says he expects “sanctions” to rain down.

He particularly expects people to lose their jobs.

“Québec solidaire will support the Liberals’ request,” MP Guillaume Cliche-Rivard told The Canadian Press. “Light must be shed on this affront to the entire Quebec population.”

The Parti Québécois also protested that “SAAQ senior management and those responsible for the SAAQclic program transmitted false and misleading information” to the CAP.

They “falsely led people to believe that the development of SAAQclic was proceeding as planned, while internally, the findings were quite different,” denounced PQ MP Pascal Bérubé.

“It is outrageous to the institution of the National Assembly (…) and this action must be severely punished to restore and maintain our trust in the SAAQ leadership,” he added.

For its part, the government side refused to reveal the broad outlines of the argument it intends to present on Tuesday.

It should be recalled that the Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs, Éric Caire, was forced to resign from his position on Feb. 27, following the devastating AG report.

Premier François Legault recently announced his intention to establish a public commission of inquiry into the abuses at the SAAQ.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews