Latest news with #SAAQ
CTV News
7 days ago
- CTV News
Police in Gatineau, Que. received 1,800 tips about out-of-province licence plates, 30 tickets issued
An Ontario licence plate on Tuesday. Gatineau Police are cracking down on residents with out-of-province plates on their vehicles. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) More than two dozen drivers in Gatineau, Que. have received a ticket for driving with a non-Quebec licence plate, as part of a crackdown on residents with out-of-province licence plates. In February, the Gatineau Police department launched an operation targeting Quebec residents with out-of-province licence plates on their vehicles. Police asked residents to call 3-1-1 to report neighbours, friends or other residents who have been living in Quebec for more than three months with a non-Quebec licence plate on their vehicle. Between Feb. 19 and July 16, the city received 1,852 tips from the public about drivers with non-Quebec licence plates. A police spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa 30 tickets have been issued to drivers for out-of-province plates since the operation began. The fine for having an out-of-province licence plate is $200, with fees bringing the total fine to $336. Police say 50 cases have been referred to Revenu Quebec for investigation, while 10 cases were closed because they involved commercial plates. Several investigations have also been closed for various reasons, including the owner complied to register the vehicle with the Quebec government, the owner moved or there was insufficient information to investigate, according to police. Provincial law requires new residents to register their vehicles with the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) within three months of moving into the province to receive a Quebec plate. The crackdown on out-of-province licence plates comes after the city implemented a new vehicle registration tax to help fund Gatineau's STO. Under the plan approved by council, each registered vehicle is subject to a $60 tax in 2025, and a $90 vehicle tax starting in 2026. The vehicle registration tax is collected by the SAAQ, and applies to automobiles, motor homes, SUVs and minivans, but not motorcycles, mopeds, and vehicles for institutional, professional and commercial use, according to the city. The new $60 vehicle registration tax imposed by the City of Gatineau is in addition to a $30 fee that has been charged by the province since 1992. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
‘Clear lack of judgment': Guilbault slams SAAQ's new karaoke-themed impaired driving campaign
Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Genevieve Guilbault, speaks about new road safety measures at a press conference in Montreal, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) Quebec's transport minister has ordered a review of a new campaign by the province's auto insurance board that wanted to use karaoke to bring awareness to impaired driving. The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) issued an invitation to the media on Thursday for the launch of the campaign under the theme 'Are you karaOK to drive?' 'This fun activity takes the form of karaoke featuring well-known Quebec songs, whose lyrics have been reworked to convey messages of prevention and awareness about responsible driving, particularly in a festive context,' reads part of the media advisory. Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault made clear on social media that she was not a fan of the project. In a pointed social media post, she said, 'This is yet another example of the need for a change in leadership at @SAAQ, which I did yesterday,' in reference to the provincial government firing the head of the auto insurance board, Éric Ducharme, on Wednesday. 'Both the concept of this campaign and the timing of its announcement reflect a clear lack of judgment. I've discussed this with the new interim CEO, who agrees 100%. We've asked them to review the awareness campaign. I'll let SAAQ answer for that.' The SAAQ invited singers to perform songs adapted to the campaign and discuss responsible driving behaviours. 'Discussions accompanied by practical advice from our entertainment team will round out the experience, reminding participants of the importance of making informed choices,' the invitation stated. The press conference was scheduled for Friday morning in Quebec City. The SAAQ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The criticism from Guilbault comes as she is expressing 'anger' amid the ongoing Gallant Commission's investigation into the SAAQclic fiasco. In addition to the public inquiry, Quebec's anti-corruption police has also opened an investigation into the failed rollout in February 2023. The minister told Noovo Info on Wednesday that the 'cleanup' at the SAAQ is not over and further action will be taken soon. 'This is an organization in crisis at a critical time. It needs someone who can manage it accordingly,' Guilbault said. The Quebec government has named SAAQ vice-president Annie Lafond as interim CEO.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
SAAQ cleanup isn't over yet, suggests Quebec Transport Minister
Judge Denis Gallant of the Commission d'enquête sur la gestion de la modernisation des systèmes informatiques de la Société de l'assurance automobile (SAAQ) awaits the start of the public inquiry into the failure of the SAAQclic platform in Montreal on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault says the 'cleanup' at the Société d'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) isn't over yet, and promises further action will be taken soon. She made the comment on Wednesday, according to Noovo Info, as she pointed out that she shares the 'anger of Quebecers' who are paying attention to the Gallant Commission hearings on the Crown corporation's failed SAAQclic digital shift. READ MORE: Quebec government reassigns head of SAAQ amid scandal 'This is an organization in crisis at a critical time. It needs someone who can manage it accordingly,' Guilbault insisted. This comes after SAAQ President and CEO Éric Ducharme was fired from his role on Wednesday. In speaking about her decision to reassign him, Guilbault noted that the atmosphere during her meetings with Ducharme was sometimes tinged with 'passivity.' Annie Lafond, currently vice president of insured services at the SAAQ, is slated to replace him as interim CEO for an indefinite period of time. 'In my opinion, Ms. Lafond has the ideal profile to take the reins of the SAAQ. I thank her for accepting,' Guilbault said of the appointment on Wednesday. Before joining the SAAQ four months ago, Lafond was vice president of digital transformation and customer experience at Beneva. She would not say if she wanted the job on a more permanent basis. 'Lack of interest' Ducharme's name has been mentioned several times throughout the commission. He first took office in April 2023, replacing Denis Marsolais, who was dismissed in the wake of the SAAQClic fiasco. Last month, it was revealed that three SAAQ auditors resigned in quick succession in 2024, saying they were disappointed by Ducharme's lack of interest in their work. 'It was like being spat on,' said former internal auditor Marie-Line Lalonde in her testimony before the Gallant Commission. Lalonde explained that her department waited nine months before securing a meeting with the CEO. During that time, internal auditors continued to identify numerous problems related to the new SAAQclic platform, such as the collection of certain fees and taxes. However, during the long-awaited meeting on Jan. 24, 2024, the CEO was 'sitting in his chair with his arms crossed,' Lalonde recalled. When pressed on the issue in recent months, Quebec Premier François Legault and Guilbault refused to publicly confirm their confidence in Ducharme. Legault had previously suggested that he wanted to wait for the Gallant report, expected by Dec. 15, 2025. Following Ducharme's firing, Guilbault argued that the government 'cannot afford to wait for the report, because this situation has been going on for a long time' at the SAAQ. READ MORE: Current SAAQ CEO Ducharme criticized once again at Gallant commission In addition to the Gallant Commission, investigations are underway by the anti-corruption unit (UPAC), the Autorité des marchés publics and the Quebec Transport Ministry. Double failure? Ducharme is the second SAAQ CEO to be appointed and dismissed by Legault's government. It's a 'double admission of failure,' according to Quebec Liberal (PLQ) transportation critic Monsef Derraji. 'They are trying to clean house at the top of the organization, but political responsibility cannot be swept under the rug,' he said in a message to The Canadian Press. 'Nothing is working, and Ms. Guilbault must stop blaming others and take responsibility.' Parti Québécois (PQ) transportation critic Joël Arseneau added that the announcement of Ducharme's dismissal comes 'in the middle of summer, when people are starting their vacations.' 'Accountability will come sooner or later, and I think Quebecers will judge the CAQ very harshly for its overall performance, but particularly for its handling of this fiasco,' he said. READ MORE: Quebec minister announces audit of SAAQ outage Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal took to X to add, 'After months of improvisation, we are right to wonder whether she [Guilbault] is still the right person to regain the public's trust.' Guilbault defended herself against the accusations, saying she was 'extremely present on a weekly basis at the SAAQ.' 'We are in constant contact with the SAAQ to ensure that things improve,' she said. 'Ultimately, it is my responsibility to replace [the CEO] if things don't work out.' All the same, the Quebec government professionals union (SPGQ) said it considers the firing a 'good first step toward cleaning up management' at the Crown corporation. 'The subcontracts responsible for the SAAQclic fiasco must also be cleaned up,' argued fourth vice-president Daniel Goyette. With files from The Canadian Press.
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.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
SAAQclic: Judge Denis Gallant refuses to grant participant status to Karl Malenfant
Commissioner Denis Gallant presides over a special inquiry into the causes and circumstances underlying the problems with managing and implementing the CASA program for the Societe d'Assurance automobile du Quebec, in Quebec City on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Judge Denis Gallant, who is leading the inquiry into the SAAQclic fiasco, refused on Thursday to grant participant status to Karl Malenfant. The former vice-president of information technology at Quebec's auto insurance board (SAAQ) had requested to be a participant on June 18. In his decision handed down on Thursday, Gallant stressed that Malenfant does not need such status as he will be invited to testify before the inquiry at the end of the summer. Participant status would have allowed Malenfant to cross-examine witnesses, as SAAQ lawyers have been doing since the beginning of the proceedings. The SAAQclic fiasco is expected to cost taxpayers at least $1.1 billion by 2027, according to calculations by the Auditor General of Quebec. Malenfant, whose name is constantly mentioned at the commission, laments facing a 'significant reputational risk.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French July 3, 2025. By Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press
