Latest news with #ÉricDucharme
Global News
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Global News
Quebec government ‘reassigns' head of auto insurance board amid SAAQclic scandal
The Quebec government has reassigned the president and CEO of the province's auto insurance board. Éric Ducharme's dismissal from the top job was confirmed by a government source who was not authorized to speak publicly. Ducharme was appointed to the position in April 2023 to restore order at the auto board, which has been in crisis since the disastrous rollout of its new online platform. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He is being dismissed in the middle of a public inquiry announced last spring after Quebec's auditor general revealed cost overruns of at least $500 million in the creation of the platform. Quebec's anticorruption squad conducted a search of the auto board's head office in June. Premier François Legault has refused to publicly reiterate his confidence in Ducharme in recent months, but had suggested he would wait for the report from the public inquiry before taking any action.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Quebec government reassigns head of auto insurance board amid scandal
QUÉBEC — The Quebec government has reassigned the president and CEO of the province's auto insurance board. Éric Ducharme's dismissal from the top job was confirmed by a government source who was not authorized to speak publicly. Ducharme was appointed to the position in April 2023 to restore order at the auto board, which has been in crisis since the disastrous rollout of its new online platform. He is being dismissed in the middle of a public inquiry announced last spring after Quebec's auditor general revealed cost overruns of at least $500 million in the creation of the platform. Quebec's anticorruption squad conducted a search of the auto board's head office in June. Premier François Legault has refused to publicly reiterate his confidence in Ducharme in recent months, but had suggested he would wait for the report from the public inquiry before taking any action. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025. The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec government fires head of SAAQ
Éric Ducharme, president and CEO of the SAAQ, has been fired by François Legault's government. (CTV News) 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.
CBC
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Quebec to fire head of SAAQ amid public inquiry into online platform debacle
The Legault government is firing the CEO of Quebec's automobile insurance board, Éric Ducharme, Radio-Canada has learned. Annie Lafond, the current vice-president of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), is expected to be named interim CEO. The Journal de Montréal first reported the story. Ducharme was appointed on April 5, 2023, more than a month after the chaotic launch of the SAAQclic digital platform, which led to a $500-million cost overrun, according to a scathing report by the auditor general. The platform was intended to centralize most of the services from the SAAQ. But when it launched in February 2023, users across the province struggled to access and navigate it, and for weeks, frustrated drivers lined up in the cold outside SAAQ offices as technical issues dragged on. In June, Quebec's anti-corruption unit, known as UPAC, said it had been investigating the rollout of SAAQclic for months. A public inquiry into the matter — presided over by Denis Gallant and known as the Gallant commission — started on April 24 of this year.
Montreal Gazette
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
UPAC searches Quebec auto insurance board in connection with SAAQclic scandal
By La Presse Canadienne Quebec anticorruption police searched the headquarters of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec on Wednesday in connection with the SAAQclic scandal. 'We can confirm today that we are conducting a search in the SAAQclic case. We will not be giving any details about this in order to protect our investigation,' the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC) said in a statement to Presse Canadienne. 'Generally speaking, a search in a fraud or corruption investigation is used to obtain evidence that will allow us to confirm or deny the commission of wrongdoing. The seized documents must then be analyzed and may then require witness interviews.' Premier François Legault said Wednesday the situation at the SAAQ and recent testimony at the Gallant Commission investigating the SAAQclic scandal is 'worrying.' The premier continued to refuse to reiterate his confidence in SAAQ CEO Éric Ducharme. 'I think we have to wait for the final report,' Legault said. 'He hasn't given his testimony yet, so let's let him explain. What's important is to get to the bottom of things.' In a statement, the SAAQ said it is 'fully co-operating with the ongoing investigation and will not comment further in order to respect the work of the authorities and preserve the integrity of the process.' UPAC's search came as former SAAQ CEO Denis Marsolais testified before the Gallant Commission. UPAC has been investigating SAAQclic since February. The pressure is mounting on Ducharme because of testimony before the Gallant Commission. In an open letter published in Le Soleil on Wednesday, he wrote: 'The investigation conducted by the Commission of Inquiry into the management of the modernization of the SAAQ's IT systems is a necessary step to provide a comprehensive assessment of our digital transition and its impact on our customers and partners. We reiterate our commitment to working with this body to complete the process and shed full light on past events.' Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault indicated that she had written to UPAC twice. 'I wanted to make them aware of the scandalous nature of everything that was being said and everything that appears to have happened at the SAAQ,' she said Wednesday. 'This morning, I see that they are operating at the SAAQ headquarters. So, seeing institutions doing their job is always reassuring.' This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM.
