A public inquiry into a failed digital overhaul at Quebec’s automobile insurance board has heard the project could cost the province nearly half a billion dollars more than planned.
Interim auditor general Alain Fortin told the inquiry on Monday that the SAAQclic program, launched in 2017 to modernise the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), may reach a total cost of $1.1 billion by 2027. The original budget was $638 million over 10 years.
Fortin said the estimate includes all costs incurred and projected, including components already in use and others still incomplete. Several phases of the project remain paused with no firm timelines.
He also noted that the SAAQ no longer tracks operating expenses, and the auditor general's office used the original 2017 projections to estimate future operating costs. Fortin said the final cost could rise further if the project is expanded to meet its initial goals.
Earlier in April, Premier François Legault questioned the audit’s methodology, suggesting that implementation and maintenance costs should be calculated separately. Fortin responded that the comparison should be based on consistent categories. He reiterated that because operating costs are no longer tracked, the office had to rely on original figures.
SAAQclic was intended to streamline services such as licence renewals and driving test bookings through an online platform. Instead, its launch in 2023 led to widespread service disruptions, including long wait times at in-person service centres.
The inquiry is examining findings from the auditor general’s February 2025 report, which described the digital transformation as unsuccessful. The report concluded that the SAAQ exceeded its budget without delivering the expected results. It also found that known problems were not addressed before the system went live. Despite internal concerns raised in 2022, management reported that the project was progressing as planned.
The report stated that two years after launch, technical and service issues continued and the promised benefits had not materialised.
The inquiry, led by Montreal municipal court judge Denis Gallant, is expected to deliver its findings by September 30.
The provincial government launched the inquiry following the report’s release. Éric Caire resigned as minister of cybersecurity and digital technology shortly after its publication.
