Derraji calls for accountability amid $1.1 billion cost overrun
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Liberal MNA for Nelligan, Monsef Derraji, is calling for accountability in the wake of the SAAQclic fiasco, which has allegedly cost Quebec taxpayers at least $1.1 billion. In a recent interview, Derraji criticized the handling of the project by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government, highlighting mismanagement, lack of accountability, and misleading information provided to parliamentarians.
The SAAQclic system, part of the CASA program aimed at modernizing the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec’s (SAAQ) computer systems, was initially budgeted at $638 million but has now ballooned to over $1.1 billion. Derraji emphasized that the true cost could be even higher as the estimate only reflects the state of the program up to 2022.
Unclear communication and political repercussions
According to Derraji, internal documents from 2022 revealed significant political and media risks associated with the project—risks known to the SAAQ’s board of directors but allegedly not communicated to the Minister of Transport. “How could the Minister of Transport have ignored this when an official board document explicitly stated that this approach would have direct political and media repercussions?” Derraji asked. He questioned the level of oversight and demanded clarity on whether the Minister requested detailed reports or met with the board to understand the situation fully.
Derraji attributed the issues to a combination of poor management, inadequate testing, and a failure to act on known risks. “As a member of the parliament, we received the wrong information,” Derraji stated, criticizing the communication between the SAAQ and the government.
Accountability and investigation demands
Derraji stressed that political responsibility should be assumed by former Minister of Transport François Bonnardel and current Minister Geneviève Guilbault. He argued that their lack of meetings with the board of directors contributed to the project’s failures. “It’s unacceptable that Minister Bonnardel and Guilbault did not have any meetings with the board of directors or the president of the board,” he said. He emphasized the need for accountability: “If they don’t want to take this responsibility, they can close the parliament and give the power to the administrator.”
Calling for a thorough investigation, Derraji demanded the intervention of Quebec’s public procurement authority (l’Autorité des marchés publics) and suggested that UPAC, Quebec’s anti-corruption unit, should also be involved. He highlighted a potential conflict of interest, pointing out that the company SAP was deeply involved at the inception of the program and later won contracts related to the project.
Auditor General’s report confirms failures
The Auditor General’s February 2025 report corroborates Derraji’s claims, detailing cost overruns, poor project management, and misleading reporting practices. The report revealed that nearly 20 per cent of integrated tests were not completed before the system’s launch, leading to significant issues that persist to this day. Additionally, the SAAQ failed to track the financial benefits of the new system, making it impossible to determine if the investment justified the cost.
The report also stated that service delivery at SAAQ counters is now slower than before the implementation of SAAQclic, and the platform is less popular than the previous online system. Due to the system’s instability, the Auditor General could not issue an opinion on the SAAQ’s financial statements for 2023, citing an increased risk of fraud and errors.
CAQ government under fire for lack of transparency
The Liberal opposition is demanding the immediate unredaction of internal documents and meeting minutes related to SAAQclic, questioning the CAQ government’s transparency. “If the government has nothing to hide, why won’t it disclose everything?” Derraji asked, suggesting that political motives might be behind the secrecy.
According to an email from Narjisse Andaloussi, a political advisor in the Liberal opposition, Derraji is challenging the government to take political responsibility instead of blaming the SAAQ. The email also states that Derraji has filed a formal notice for breach of privilege under Article 69 of the National Assembly’s regulations, accusing the government of misleading parliamentarians.
SAAQ’s response to the Auditor General’s findings
In response to the Auditor General’s report, the SAAQ acknowledged the issues and accepted all recommendations. It stated that a new planning approach and a major projects committee have been established to improve risk identification and monitoring. Additionally, a diagnostic review of the CASA program is underway to learn from the experience and improve future projects.
SAAQ CEO Éric Ducharme emphasized in a release that the organization is committed to restoring service quality, correcting technological issues, and compensating customers affected by errors. “We are aware of the significant inconveniences experienced by our customers and partners associated with this large-scale digital transformation, and we sincerely apologize,” Ducharme stated.
The office of Guilbault was contacted for an interview or comment but did not respond by the time this article went to press.