The Saaqclic scandal, its failed digital turn and its staggering costs are a real basket of crabs. The work of the Gallant Commission already confirms it amply.
Now a second CEO in a row of the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company is offered in sacrificial lambs in vain hope to clean this defiled slate for the CAQ before the ministerial reshuffle of autumn.
Yet appointed by the Legault government as its predecessor Denis Marsolais for alleged high skills of high manager, Éric Ducharme bites the dust in turn.
To justify it, the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, getting into her soupant out of hollow words while washing her hands well.
However, let’s be charitable and at least lend the Minister to the intelligence of not really believing herself.
Now, what you need to understand is that behind the SAAQCLIC fiasco turns two persistent crises. One very political and the other sadly systemic.
The first is the product of the CAQ. Favor image and communication to the detriment of solid public policies being its great weakness.
The Saaqclic scandal, as is the bad farce of the third link or the creation of Health Québec, is yet another demonstration.
Image et communication
It is therefore not surprising that, to replace Mr. Ducharme, Minister Guilbault chooses Annie Lafond, also marketing. Its mission: straighten the leaned image of the SAAQ.
Again, the concern for image and communication predominates. The second crisis is more systemic in nature. It precedes the CAQ and it will survive it if the next government also emphasizes marketing to the detriment of the substance.
This crisis is in fact that of the Quebec state itself. At least, the one who, since the late 90s, has abandoned the heritage of the Quiet Revolution.
This denied legacy was humanism in public services, bureaucratic efficiency to deliver them and the political responsibility of elected officials.
Quebecers also note this break in the social contract binding them to their national state. They see it in the health network, public schools, the lack of intervention to counter the housing crisis, etc.
The perfect microcosm
The Saaqclic scandal is the perfect microcosm. Partisan appointments of incompetent leaders. Dilapidation of taxpayers’ money. Lax political supervision.
Loss of expertise in the ministries forcing the State to use private firms that are too happy to dive into the flat Treasury candy. Delivery of deficient services. Etc.
With a few exceptions, it is the Quebec state itself that is unlocked. It is because for thirty years, governments have been allowing to do.
At the very risk sometimes, as the Charbonneau commission recalled, to open the door to the three “C”: collusion, cronyism and corruption.
But from all that – the real substantive problem -, no official communication of communication, all governments combined, talks about it.
This is why in October 2026 election, as in 1976, many voters, whether sovereignist or federalist, may have the taste for redoing a big cleaning. Until next time …