The Quebec government is grappling with a controversy that could be the biggest political scandal in the province since the Charbonneau commission, which found deep corruption in the construction industry, observers say.
The fiasco over the digital transformation of Quebec’s auto insurance board, involving half a billion dollars in cost overruns, has dominated headlines in Quebec since the auditor general published a damning report nearly two weeks ago. It has already claimed one minister in the province’s Coalition Avenir Québec government.
On Sunday, Premier François Legault announced he will launch a public inquiry to shed light on the affair, following a steady trickle of news reports suggesting members of his government were aware of problems with the board’s new online platform ahead of its disastrous launch….