The waltz of ministers continues at the Gallant Commission, which is to shed light on the Saaqclic fiasco. This week we are waiting for the former Minister of Cybersecurity Éric Caire, the Minister of Health Christian Dubé this week, as well as the current president of the Treasury Board, Sonia Lebel.
Their testimonies will follow those of the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, and the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, heard last week.
The name of Eric Caire has been pronounced several times in the hearings of the Gallant Commission. His participation in the works was to be expected.
The former Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital had also resigned from his post last February in the wake of the scandal surrounding the deployment of the Saaqclic platform.
Grateful that this case
became a distraction
For the Caquist government, he maintained that he had nothing to [se] to reproach […] except for not having been suspicious enough
.
Minister Éric Caire assured that he could have done nothing to prevent cost overruns of the Saaqclic project. (Archives photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy Roussel
The deputy of Orford, Gilles Bélanger, has since succeeded him.
The Treasury Board under the magnifying glass of the Gallant Commission
The presence of Christian Dubé and Sonia Lebel is more surprising.
Obviously, the prosecutors of the Commission want to explore the links between the Treasury Board and the major digital transformation project of the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company (SAAQ). Before becoming Minister of Health, Christian Dubé was president of the Treasury Board between 2018 and 2020.
Recall that the links between Commissioner Denis Gallant and Sonia Lebel – the two having been prosecutors to the Charbonneau commission – had led to several criticisms even before the work of the commission of inquiry. Many elected officials in the National Assembly had asked Mr. Gallant to challenge herself.
The huge site for the digital transformation of the Saaq was undertaken under the liberal government of Philippe Couillard.
This is why the former post holder in the previous government, Pierre Moreau, will also be called upon to testify this week. Mr. Moreau sits today in the Canadian Senate.
