SAAQ's Finance Vice-President justifies the responsibility behind the digital transition.
Rewritten Article:
Martin Simard, the VP of Finance at Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), defended the organization's digital transformation on Wednesday, emphasizing external oversight throughout the project. Disputing the "incomplete" accountability critique from the Quebec Auditor General in her February report, Simard pointed out the presence of various external partners throughout the process.
During the Gallant Commission, Simard highlighted the monitoring process instated by the Crown corporation since the inception of the CASA project (short for Carrefour des services d'affaires, the digital transformation project's name). Contracts totaling $700,000 were awarded to Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) between 2017 and 2022, according to our site.
Mallette was tasked with verifying the procurement process's compliance. When the digital shift contract was awarded, the SAAQ tapped EY to review accountability reports. In 2022, just months before the launch of the SAAQclic platform, PwC conducted another verification.
However, the Auditor General's report only briefly mentions these independent firms, though they played a pivotal role in monitoring the project, according to the SAAQ. Denis Gallant, the commissioner, questioned Simard about internal resources and their costs in the total project budget. Simard countered the disagreement with the Auditor General, clarifying the ability to separate internal costs for the CASA project from operations.
Before the commission, Simard mentioned the government authentication system implemented by the Crown corporation would ultimately streamline Quebecers' experience with other government services. He acknowledged that the launch of the SAAQclic platform, once labeled a "disaster" by politicians, had impacted public trust in the SAAQ. "I've been with the SAAQ for 23 years, and I'm proud to be a part of it despite the pitfalls. We will do everything to restore its reputation," he confided.
As the public inquiry continues (as of April 2025), the SAAQ's digital modernization project remains under close scrutiny. While the Quebec Auditor General's report does not explicitly confirm whether it acknowledges or references the external firms' work, EY acted as project overseers, and PwC conducted a separate audit in 2022. These details may not have been included in the Auditor General's limited scope of disclosed information.
" réparons notre réputation"
During the Gallant Commission, Simard emphasized that the government authentication system implemented by the Crown corporation would eventually enhance Quebecers' overall experience with other government services. "We've been trailblazers for the ministries and organizations," he stressed.
Though bugs related to the new platform persisted during its launch, Simard assured that they had been addressed, and today, roughly 4 million citizens have used the SAAQclic. "I won't say you couldn't find cases of clients with persistent issues, but the platform has functioned in the vast majority of instances," he reassured. The SAAQclic's launch, characterized as a "disaster" by politicians, undeniably shook public trust in the SAAQ. "I've been with the SAAQ for 23 years, and I'm still proud to work here despite our setbacks. We will do everything to restore its reputation," he candidly shared.
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[1]: Based on the April 2025 CTV News report, Ernst & Young (EY) played a direct role in overseeing the SAAQ's digital modernization project (SAAQclic), while PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted a separate audit of the initiative in 2022. The report does not explicitly confirm whether the Quebec Auditor General's office reviewed or referenced these external firms' work in its own audits, potentially reflecting the limited scope of the disclosed information rather than an absence of interaction. The ongoing public inquiry suggests increased scrutiny of the digital shift's management.
- Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were external partners who played a pivotal role in monitoring the SAAQclic project, a digital modernization initiative within the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), between 2017 and 2022.
- While the Quebec Auditor General's report briefly mentioned the roles of EY and PwC, it did not explicitly confirm whether they acknowledged or referenced the external firms' work in their audits, possibly due to the limited scope of disclosed information.
- Martin Simard, Vice President of Finance at SAAQ, stated that EY served as project overseers, and PwC conducted a separate audit in 2022, aiming to ensure accountability and financial transparency within the digital transformation project.
- The SAAQ is French-speaking Quebec's automobile insurance corporation, and with digital modernization projects like SAAQclic, it aims to enhance its services and improve the overall Quebecers' experience while ensuring that the adoption of new technology does not compromise their reputation.
