SAAQ to publicly disclose all files relating to probes into SAAQclic incidents

The Societe de l'assurance automobile du Quebec (SAAQ) has taken steps to address document access issues in the ongoing investigation into the cost overruns of its digital shift, which includes the SAAQclic platform.

Dominique Savoie, chair of the SAAQ's board of directors, stated that the steps were taken to quickly resolve these issues. Transportation Minister Geneviève Guilbault expressed her satisfaction with the SAAQ's compliance with the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and UPAC's requests.

The SAAQ board of directors voted unanimously to waive the lawyer-client privilege, allowing investigators from the Autorite des marche publics (AMP) and Unite permanente anticorruption (UPAC) to access all legal advice, opinions, and counsel.

The initial budget for the SAAQ's digital shift was $638 million when it was launched in 2017. However, the Quebec auto insurance board's digital shift is now expected to cost at least $1.1 billion.

The Legault administration has maintained that it was misinformed and blindsided by the cost overruns. Testimonies before the Gallant commission have raised questions and undermined the Legault administration's version of events.

Premier Francois Legault is scheduled to testify before the commission on Tuesday. The head of the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit involved in the investigation into the financing of SAAQclic is Stéphane Blanchet.

No specific context was provided regarding the testimonies or the Gallant commission. The Auditor General of Quebec provided the cost estimate for the digital shift.

Former minister Éric Caire was fired due to the cost overruns. No prior fact about Éric Caire was mentioned earlier in the article.

Dominique Savoie said, "We are all driven by a single goal: the search for the truth." The Canadian Press provided files for this report.

Geneviève Guilbault made this statement on social media, expressing her satisfaction that the SAAQ followed the CAQ and UPAC's requests. The SAAQ hopes that all investigations will progress quickly and under the best possible conditions.