'We have to point the finger at someone': Calls for accountability grow amid SAAQ crisis

Oneunion and several opposition parties are calling on someone to bear the blame forthecustomer service crisisplaguing Quebec's automobile insurance board and they're looking at the provincial government.

On Tuesday, Quebec Transport Minister Genevive Guilbaultannounced she was cuttingshort a trip toEurope to return home and deal with the problem.

Last weekend, Guilbault announced that starting Monday, the SAAQwould get additional personnel and step up measuresto counter long lineups of frustrated driverswaiting for services because ofissues with its thenew online customer service portal calledSAAQclic.

However, long lines were still seen outsidebranches in several regions of Quebec on Monday. While lines were shorter Tuesday morning, CBC spoke with several people who said they had been waiting more than three hours for service.

Guilbaultsaid that branches experiencing high traffic would extend their operating hours and offer weekend appointments in an effort to deal with the backlog.

The minister also said 150 additional employees would be added to various SAAQ branches.

Launched on Feb. 20, SAAQclicwas supposed to allowcustomers to carry out most transactions online, including renewing driving licences and paying for a driving exam. But the transition has created headaches for drivers and car dealers seeking to register for licences or deliver vehicles.

Last week, SAAQ presidentDenis Marsolais said it could take two months for the situation to be fully resolved.

'They could've seen this coming,' says union

Christian Daigle, the head of the union representing 2,200 SAAQ employees, says the government was warned the online system could pose problems, but it didn't listen.

"They could've seen this coming before and be able to prevent all that but they did nothing about it," he said.

Prior to the portal's launch, many SAAQ services were shut down, creating a backlog of about430,000 transactions, according to Daigle, "and they started up the Monday morning not having a Plan Bor Plan Cif there were some failures."

Daigle saysGuilbault'smeasures to clear the queues come too little, too late. He says many of his members are on March break, leaving the remaining staff exhausted andfacing verbal abuse from angry customers for something "they're not responsible for."

"Even though they announced 150 more [personnel], they won'tbe in place until next week when people come back,"he said.

Daigle is now calling for accountability for the widespread service disruptions. "Iwant someone to take the blame for that. I have members that are getting fired for less than that during the year."

"We have to point the finger at someone."

On Tuesday, a trailer was stationed outside the SAAQ Henri-bourassa in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough to provide a warming spot for thedozens of people that havebeen lining up outside the branch daily.

It is also possible for those who have to wait in line to consult the SAAQ website in advance to determine the level of customer traffic at the service centre they intend to visit.

Opposition parties slam governmentfor 'total disaster'

On Tuesday,Quebec's opposition parties took aim at the Coalition Avenir Qubec government for going ahead with a change they say it was completely unpreparedto deal with.

"It's unbelievablethat it's such a mess at theSAAQ after having planned a transition for a month without any service to the population," said Jol Arseneau, Parti Qubcois MNAfor les-de-la-Madeleine.

"Why didn't they plan a contingency for such a situation?"

Qubec Solidaire health criticVincent Marissalalso criticized the CAQ's "embarrassing fiasco," saying itdoesn't bode well for the government's plan to make a similar digital shift in the province's health system.

"It's not rocket science," he said. "But what Ihave seen with the SAAQ doesn't reassure me that we will do it right with our very, very [sensitive]personal data in health."

Andr Albert Morin, Liberal MNA for theriding of Acadieand the official opposition critic for transport, said the situation is a "total disaster" anda "verygood example of a total lack of planning from this government."

Like the SAAQ union, the opposition parties are demanding accountability. While they say it's too early to call for the resignation of the head of the SAAQ, they say they're monitoring the situation and will react accordingly.

"Ifthey ignoredthe warning [from staff]and the warnings were conveyedto the right people, there's certainly questions to be asked about the responsibility of the head of the SAAQ for going ahead with this change," said Arseneau.

According to Radio-Canada, the government said it continues to trust SAAQpresidentMarsolais and has no intention of relieving him of his duties in the short term.

Replacing him in the midst of a crisis could further destabilize the organization, a source said.

The opposition parties said theCAQ government will be facing tough questions from them when the National Assembly resumes legislativeactivitiesnext week.