SAAQ possibly in contempt of National Assembly, president Roy says

The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) committed a contempt of Parliament “at first glance,” National Assembly president Nathalie Roy ruled Wednesday.

In rendering her decision, Roy cited the Auditor General, who stated the SAAQ provided incomplete information to members of the Public Administration Committee (CAP) regarding its digital transition.

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

“The facts brought to my attention are sufficiently serious to constitute at first glance (prima facie) contempt of Parliament,” Roy declared. “Not only did the SAAQ transmit false information to the CAP, but it appears to me that this was done intentionally.

“The status reports the SAAQ sent to the committee did not address the project’s significant problems. While certain indicators … were green in the documents intended for the committee, they were yellow or red in those intended for the board.”

Applauding the Chair’s decision, the House Leader of the Official Opposition, Monsef Derraji, immediately confirmed his intention to refer the matter to the National Assembly Committee (CAN).

This body will be able to investigate to determine whether there was truly a contempt of Parliament. In such a case, it will have to identify those responsible and possibly impose sanctions.

Derraji announced he intended to summon several SAAQ executives and former executives, including Nathalie Tremblay, Denis Marsolais, Éric Ducharme, Karl Malenfant, and Caroline Foldes-Busque, as well as former Chairman of the Board Konrad Sioui.

“They can’t send us false information. This is very serious, because ultimately, we lost $500 million,” he insisted at a press briefing on Wednesday. “This must not happen again.”

Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti Québécois support Derraji’s approach, but it remains to be seen whether the Legault government will agree to refer the matter to the CAN for a formal investigation next Tuesday.

The National Assembly is experiencing an unprecedented situation: an investigation is already underway at the CAN into Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault, who failed to submit an annual SAAQ report within the prescribed deadline.

The last such investigation, concerning former Groulx MNA Claude Surprenant, dates to 2018. Prior to that, the CAN investigated former Portneuf MNA Michel Pagé in 1987.

In this case, Roy emphasized that “third parties,” not parliamentarians, are being targeted. Government House Leader Simon Jolin-Barrette argued during the oral arguments that the situation was all the more delicate.

The CAQ government, which claims to have been “deceived” in this affair, has since appointed people involved in SAAQclic to other important positions within the government, Derraji was quick to point out.

“The investigation … will shed more light on the role of public servants in this fiasco. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the most important thing is ministerial responsibility,” reacted interim QS co-spokesperson Guillaume Cliche-Rivard.

Investigations into the SAAQclic affair are multiplying: in addition to launching a public inquiry, the government has had to refer the matter to the Autorité des marchés publics, the Ministry of Transport, and the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit.

The Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs, Éric Caire, resigned from his post on Feb. 27, following the report.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews