Another union, this time representing government information technology (IT) technicians, is calling for the public enquiry into SAAQclic to be extended to all government IT subcontracting.
The Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) represents the government’s IT technicians and support staff, as well as 2,000 employees at the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).
In total, the SFPQ has 44,000 members, including 33,000 in the public service.
In an interview on Wednesday, SFPQ general president Christian Daigle called for “a Charbonneau Commission 2.0″ on the Quebec government’s IT outsourcing.
He insists that the IT failures are not limited to SAAQclic and points to other problems already existing with the RENIR communications system and the SAGIR payroll system.
Like the Syndicat des professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) earlier this week, the SFPQ said it deplores the fact that the government does not have, or no longer has, the expertise to evaluate or challenge proposals made by private subcontractors.
“These are companies that come in to assess the needs that the government may have because there is a situation that is not working, let’s say, in a department. It’s a company that comes in to assess the need and it’s the same company that then bids through the other bidders and, most of the time, gets the contract to do the job too,” says Daigle.
“Meanwhile, the government is not capable of assessing whether the solution put in place by the company is the right one for the department or agency, and then monitoring the work to ensure that there are no problems, that it won’t lead to more problems, and that the solution is sustainable and effective,” sums up Daigle.
He deplores the fact that the government is having difficulty recruiting IT workers, since it does not offer conditions that are competitive with those in the private sector.
On Feb. 20, the auditor general reported that the digital shift at the SAAQ cost more than $1.1 billion -- $500 million more than expected.
Under pressure, Éric Caire, the minister for cybersecurity and the digital economy, resigned as minister.
Last Sunday, Quebec Premier François Legault announced that a public enquiry would be held into the failings of SAAQclic.
This story by The Canadian Press was first published in French March 5, 2025.
