Former Minister Éric Caire raised concerns in September 2021 about the ongoing cost overruns in the IT project of the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).
During his testimony at the Gallant Commission probing the SAAQ’s digital transition failure, Caire discussed an email exchange from September 10, 2021. His chief of staff, Julie Bérubé, alerted him to an information note sent to the Minister of Transport’s office regarding the CASA project, including the SAAQclic platform.
Bérubé highlighted that the main issue with CASA, like in the rest of Quebec, was a shortage of human resources. This scarcity could impact the project’s budget and timeline.
Caire expressed skepticism, stating the labor shortage did not fully explain the challenges faced by the CASA project. He emphasized that the project had been exceeding costs and missing deadlines for an extended period. Caire, who served as Minister Delegate for Government Digital Transformation, admitted to being unaware of the full extent of the cost overruns at the time.
When questioned about the project’s finances, Caire acknowledged the likelihood of cost overruns but claimed he did not have exact figures. The Auditor General of Quebec estimated that the CASA project would cost at least $1.1 billion, surpassing the initial budget by $500 million.
Keyphrase: SAAQ digital project cost overrun
