Reinforced garment made of iron alloy

In a series of setbacks, Quebec Premier François Legault's government is facing scrutiny over several high-profile issues.

The SAAQ, the province's automobile insurance corporation, has been embroiled in controversy. The highest-ranking civil servant in office during the SAAQclic debacle denied any knowledge of cost overruns. However, Commissioner Gallant compared the numerous reports of these cost overruns for years to weather forecasts announcing a storm. Martin Koskinen, the Premier Minister's chief of staff, expressed concerns about the opacity of the documents he was given, but it is difficult to believe he never noticed the problems with SAAQ.

The grand economic recovery operation planned by Legault's government has been affected. The government's priority after the abrupt interruption of February 2023 was to restore SAAQ services at any cost. The fate of the ministers who have succeeded each other at Transport since 2018, François Bonnardel and Geneviève Guilbault, will be decided during the next cabinet shuffle.

Meanwhile, the collapse of the Northvolt project has damaged Quebec's image as a savvy economic developer. The Northvolt project, intended to significantly impact Quebec's economic history, has collapsed. The consequences for those responsible for the project's failure will be faced.

Legault is also concerned about the possibility of corruption being discovered within the state-owned SAAQ company. The contracts awarded by the state society are still as poorly managed, according to auditor Nadia Brière. The search results do not provide information about Brière's current position or stance regarding the management of state-awarded contracts at the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec.

In a separate development, the Gallant Commission is investigating allegations made by a former minister that the financial backers of the Quebec Liberal Party had influence on judge appointments. The public found the former minister's statements more credible, and ultimately expressed their opinion at the ballot box.

Pierre Fitzgibbon, a minister, chose to leave before the housecleaning at the SAAQ's top management. The column expresses the author's values and position, not necessarily those of Le Devoir.

In remembrance, Guy Rocher, a pillar of Quebec social sciences, has passed away. Rocher was knowledgeable about education, secularism, democracy, law, and modern Quebec. His engaged sociology will be missed.

Legault, like former Premier Jean Charest before him, has been accused of washing his hands of a project's derailment. Charest categorically denied these allegations, and the commission's report cleared him, but made 46 recommendations to improve the process.

As Legault's sentence is postponed until the October 2026 election, he will need to navigate these challenges carefully to maintain public trust.