Quebec government fires head of SAAQ
Éric Ducharme, president and CEO of Quebec's automobile insurance board, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec, has been fired by François Legault's government, The Canadian Press has confirmed.
Ducharme, a former Treasury Board secretary, was appointed to the role in April 2023 to restore order at the SAAQ, which had been in crisis since the disastrous rollout of its SAAQclic platform.
In June, an internal auditor at the SAAQ, Nadia Brière, reported to the Gallant Commission, which was tasked with investigating the SAAQclic fiasco, that she believed poor contract management was continuing at the state-owned corporation.
On June 18, the province's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) searched the SAAQ's head office.
READ MORE: Quebec's anti-corruption police open investigation into SAAQclic fiasco
Brière also corroborated statements made by her former colleague, Marie-Line Lalonde, that Ducharme had very little interest in internal auditing.
Lalonde told the commission that she felt she had been 'spat on' during a meeting in January 2024 as Ducharme stood idly by, seemingly saying, 'I don't want your work.'
Ducharme has not yet given his version of events to the commission, as Judge Denis Gallant denied a request by SAAQ lawyer Sébastien Laprise to have him testify.
In recent months, Legault and Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault have refused to reiterate their confidence in Ducharme publicly.
Annie Lafond, current vice president of policyholder services at the SAAQ, is expected to replace him as CEO, according to information obtained by The Canadian Press on Wednesday.
Before joining the SAAQ a few months ago, Lafond spent five years as vice president of digital transformation and customer experience at Beneva.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 9, 2025.
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