Quebec's public auto insurer has issued a formal apology after a damning public inquiry found its management misled the provincial government for years over the cost and problems tied to its failed online platform.
The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) acknowledged that its handling of the SAAQclic digital overhaul undermined public confidence, following the release of Judge Denis Gallant’s report into the billion‑dollar project.
In a statement released after the report, SAAQ said its missteps had “contributed to undermining the public’s confidence in their institutions” and pledged to work to regain trust.
The apology marked the clearest public admission to date from the auto insurer that its actions went beyond a troubled IT rollout. Gallant’s inquiry concluded SAAQ management engaged in a “conscious effort” to conceal cost overruns and operational issues from elected officials, describing SAAQclic as “too vast, too ambitious, and implemented too quickly.”
The platform’s launch in early 2023 led to widespread service disruptions, long lineups at service centers and strong public criticism. A subsequent 2025 auditor general’s report projected the project would cost at least $1.1 billion by 2027, about $500 million more than planned, prompting Premier François Legault to order the inquiry.
Serge Lamontagne (oictured), who took over as SAAQ’s president and CEO in January, has become the face of the corporation’s response. He publicly apologized on behalf of the insurer and said SAAQ would “fully co‑operate” with the provincial government in implementing the inquiry’s recommendations.
Lamontagne has framed regaining public trust as a central priority, signaling that SAAQ will tighten internal governance, improve transparency with elected officials and strengthen oversight of large‑scale technology projects. The apology is being seen in Quebec political circles as a necessary first step, but not sufficient on its own to repair the damage.
While the report concentrated much of its criticism on SAAQ’s former leadership, it did not spare the political class.
Gallant found that elected officials and some senior public servants did, at various points, receive reliable warnings about growing costs and risks, raising questions about why those concerns did not lead to earlier intervention.
That finding has added pressure on the government to be seen responding decisively. Treasury Board president France‑Élaine Duranceau has said Quebec is “evaluating all possible legal recourse,” including potential action against former SAAQ executives and private IT contractors involved in the project.
At the same time, ministers have signaled plans to tighten oversight of major public‑sector IT initiatives.
For now, SAAQ’s apology and commitment to co‑operate give the government a public acknowledgment of responsibility from the corporation at the center of the scandal.
But the longer‑term test will be whether the auto insurer follows through on governance reforms and whether the province acts on the inquiry’s 26 recommendations.
With the SAAQclic cost overruns likely to remain a reference point for public‑sector technology failures, the insurer’s attempt to rebuild trust is expected to face continued scrutiny from both the government and the public it serves.
