Health Minister Kevin Bernard Defends SmartStream Crackdown

Is the government protecting sensitive financial information, or making it harder to follow the public’s money? That debate is intensifying after the government restricted Smart Stream access for financial officers across the public service. The Public Service Union says the decision weakens oversight and creates another barrier to transparency, particularly as auditors investigate alleged wrongdoing and conflicts of interest within the Ministry of Defense. That investigation reportedly began after someone leaked a screenshot from the SmartStream system. But Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard is standing behind the new restrictions, arguing today that the government has good reason to tighten access.

 

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness

“I will respond to that, and I will put on my hat as a former auditor myself and somebody who studied finance. And coming from the Private sector, you would know that in the private sector, Tom, Dick and Harry cannot have certain information. But, I understand the concern coming from those who are saying that government made a decision, or whoever made a decision to restrict person. But I think it is by right, in my personal view, every ministry has a finance officer and that finance officer should have access to the ministry’s information. But of course, that does not lock out treasury and the main Ministry of Finance who have overall access. So, restricting an individual ministry from having access to other ministries, I think from my perspective it is the right thing to do.”

 

Bernard Questions Universal Access to Government Accounts

 

The government is tightening access to its financial records, but Minister Kevin Bernard says that does not mean it is shutting down oversight. He is questioning why financial officers should have access to every ministry’s accounts, arguing that the new SmartStream restrictions will protect sensitive information and create a more controlled system.

 

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness

“While it may not be the popular decision, it is also to understand that controls have to be made at all levels. Let’s go back to the, if I was working in the private sector and I am the CEO of this company and I have my accounts clerk and everybody the share people information and data out there, you are undermining that company’s fiduciary duty too. And so I don’t see it as a obstacle. I don’t see it as trying to put  a blind eye to the audit taking place on issues taking place. I think it is about streamlining processes within the SmartStream. So from my perspective, and as I said, I believe it is the right thing to do, and you are not restricting the main ministry that has and should have overall access, which is the overall approval of anything that goes through the Smartstream. My question has always been, why would agriculture need to know what defense is doing. Your responsibility as a ministry is to deal with matters related to your ministry. The only ministry that I see that should have all access to everybody’s information and data is the Ministry of Finance who at the end is the final approver of any payments being made through the SmartStream system.”

 

Minister Bernard argues that universal access to the SmartStream system among government financial officers has long been a weakness.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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