The fallout from those leaked Smart Stream records begs the question: what else is hidden in the system? As screenshots circulate showing questionable payment patterns, calls are growing louder for full public access to the government’s financial platform. Critics argue transparency is the only way to restore trust, but the man in charge of the public purse is pushing back. Financial Secretary Joseph Waight says opening up the system isn’t that simple, pointing to serious privacy concerns and the potential risks of exposing sensitive data. It’s a response that is already fueling debate: should transparency trump confidentiality when millions in taxpayer dollars are on the line?
Joseph Waight
Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary
“Yes, and yes and yes and there should be some maybe a little higher level of disclosure, there is two parts and they need to have some privacy as well. If you pay me my salary that is tax payers money but I think I have a right to confidentiality to my salary. Similarly if you have a supplier, some right to confidentiality, not completely there is some. Two side to a story.”
Paul Lopez
“But, if it was not for this leaked information, how would we have known? FinSec is it that you are sleeping at the wheel, your FOs are sleeping at the wheel, your AOs are sleeping at the wheel, if not culpable, because nobody caught it until it was leaked.”
Joseph Waight
“Well the problem is that it depends on where in the process you are. Nobody has said it is fraud yet. we have to see what the audit report comes up with, but it looks suspicious.”
Paul Lopez
“But the argument is that once you enter into an agreement with the government you immediately make yourself exposed to public scrutiny.”
Joseph Waight
“You may be subject to a higher level of scrutiny, but I don’t think the public has a right to dump all the records because there are some privacy element involved.”
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