Quebec corruption police raiding offices of auto insurance board

Poster for the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) in Montreal, May 7, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Quebec’s corruption police are searching the headquarters of the province’s auto insurance board.

The auto board has been mired in a scandal for nearly two years over the botched rollout of its new online platform.

An auditor general report earlier this year revealed the government wound up paying a total of $1.1 billion for the platform, which was $500 million more than expected.

The board is responsible for issuing and renewing driver’s licences, administering road tests and the provincial no-fault insurance system.

The scandal surrounding the online platform has also been the subject of an ongoing public inquiry.

Corruption police are refusing to give details on what led to the search at the board’s Quebec City offices.

In a statement, the police force says that in general its officers conduct searches to obtain evidence to confirm or refute wrongdoing.

Amid mounting pressure, Éric Caire was forced to step down in February as cybersecurity and digital technology minister.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.