Comments on: Dr Derrick Binns On The Role Of The Civil Service

By: In reality

In reality — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 19:56:34 +0000

It is actually very easy to make a double payment by accident, but as a direct result of the completely useless payment system brought in a few years ago at considerable expense, and which isn’t fit for purpose.

Not justifying the double payments which were deliberate, of that there can be no doubt, but I am confident that many, many more double payments are made by pure human error, which are not picked up due to the appalling payments system.

By: Terry

Terry — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 19:37:32 +0000

Trash Binns.

Shalom.

By: Tom Cooke

Tom Cooke — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 19:26:55 +0000

Wow a load of “rubble ” goes missing and the PLP come out of the wood work… multi millions go missing and just silence… and this guy blames everyone but himself….

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 16:30:58 +0000

What will it take for the OBA, or any other governing party for that matter, to get off their collective butts & straighten out the Civil Service, an organisation that is rarely civil & rarely gives good service.

Umpteen reports, the last one being the Sage Report, have said the same thing. The civil service is way to big & the civil service does not produce.

Now we have this damning AG report dealing with mismanagement already almost 5 years old.

By: 32n64w

32n64w — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 15:40:29 +0000

Ok, simple questions Dr. Binns.

Who do you report to? Who determines your salary? Who evaluates your performance?

If you and other civil servants do a poor job how are taxpayers able to evaluate your performance and hold senior management accountable?

Where can voters view your job performance reviews online? Do you even have periodic reviews?

What measurable and defined metrics govern your performance, evaluation and remuneration? How do taxpayers know they’re receiving value for money? What constitutes maladministration prompting termination?

But the single most important question is – who signs the cheques? You talk about responsibility but no where do you mention accountability of the civil service. After all bills, consultants, vendors, contractors, etc. don’t pay themselves.

It seems the senior members of the Civil Service exist in an unaccountable bubble at the expense of the taxpayers and this is evident from your patronizing remarks that completely ignore the salient points of the AG’s report (ignoring financial instructions and standing orders) which only serves to confirm a broken system. This needs to change.

By: hmmm

hmmm — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 14:39:11 +0000

FIRE BINNS NOW !

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 13:35:26 +0000

In many Ministrys the senior CS were much more educated than their Minister overseers of the Ministry.

Just like “Yes Minister”, it would not take much to thoroughly confuse the Minister into doing dumb expensive things e.g. buying a bunch of mobile homes, which sat in storage for a few years before finally being put to use, then after a few years use being declared unuseable & trashed long before the 25 plus year lifespan they get in the US.

The most visible expensive blunder was in M&P where a 50 year old tug was bought that is seldom used & has constant maintenance issues if it is. Then there are those ferrys. Totally unsuitable for such a short distance that their speed can be put to use.

By: PANGAEA

PANGAEA — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 12:44:19 +0000

We have not heard the word “inequality” for some time, as a potential civil servant when applying for a position with government service is required to present qualifications and subject to annual review regarding job performance, this test of ability ensures the Government and the people of Bermuda are getting the cream of the work force.

Can some tell me if politicians are subject to the same criteria.

By: navin johnson

navin johnson — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 11:21:22 +0000

I am sure some in the Civil Service do good work….just too many Civil Servants and not enough good ones

By: paperboy

paperboy — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 11:00:02 +0000

It would be helpful to have available the Code of Conduct that is signed by our Bermuda Civil Service when reading this release by Dr. Binns. We could then compare those terms with his version of accountability and responsibility.

I hope that we continue to see some investigative reporting around this and other issues that have been revealed in the Auditor General’s reports.

Time for our Governor and Political Leaders to step up and step in and clean house.

By: mj

mj — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 02:48:20 +0000

@dockyard Lackey—you appear to lack some common knowledge about the civil service that includes works and engineering, parks, bus drivers, trash truck drivers, nurses, Aides, etc. the ,list is endless, court reporters, police, and officials that head these departments, how do you think business is run?The heads or managers may have some issues with administration i.c. attitudes of some officers in the execution of their duty, and the running of certain departments that are not as smoothly run, however the managers are responsible for each department so when the buses break down it is not the head of the civil service but the heads of that department of transport control. There are policies in place fair or not there should be avenues to correct this and that is why votes take place, so its important for the person the people vote for to answer to them as Mr. Binns states they(civil service heads) are answerable only to the Crown, just in case we were wondering aout the Kingdom.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 02:38:56 +0000

… there’s an ‘emergency meeting’ next week, stay tuned…

By: Andrew Little

Andrew Little — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 01:44:14 +0000

… hence the ‘emergency meeting’ next week…

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 01:24:06 +0000

I know, I know, he’s just a ‘cog in the wheel’… now, where have we heard that before…?!

By: robert stewart

robert stewart — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:52:53 +0000

Sounds like the script for a “Yes Minister” TV show. Hundreds of millions went missing and nobody knows where the money went and who authorized what? Come on, we were not born yesterday.

Something smells – probably the books are cooking.

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:32:23 +0000

Vacation planning on taxpayer time & computers.

By: clearasmud

clearasmud — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:27:21 +0000

This article was clearly written to address the slanted article written by Mrs. Wooldridge an does a good job of showing that Minister are not immune from blame for this mess. As others have said there is no excuse for the double and over payments.

By: jt

jt — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:23:12 +0000

Hold some feet to fires and they will sing like canaries.

By: clearasmud

clearasmud — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:21:59 +0000

I agree

By: clearasmud

clearasmud — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:18:57 +0000

Actually the constitution makes the minister of finance responsible for the finances so they would be the Minister of accountability

By: aceboy

aceboy — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:17:13 +0000

This is all in response to the blaming of the CS for all the overspends the AG recently reported on.

Looks to me like the Minister is responsible…full stop.

The tat to the PLP’s tit.

By: bermy Bud

bermy Bud — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 23:43:04 +0000

Go find the PLP mouth pieces! They come out every week but once that AG report has came out cant find ONE! Burt, Bean, Roban, Weeks, Desilva, Where all part of Cox and Brown administration! Well until u come out and explain the financial negligence (being nice) then ALL your words are empty to me!

By: umok

umok — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 23:15:11 +0000

Here we go again. Derrick is really writing and article to protect the civil servants. Government is the most inefficient, bloated organization in Bermuda. They can’t balance a budget to save Bermuda.

Heck they can’t even pick up the trash on time and he is blaming the Ministers for 100% of the issues? Ok but I disagree with all that fluff wholeheartedly.

By: Rockfish #2

Rockfish #2 — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 22:31:25 +0000

A classic case of singing for your supper.

By: Rat chaser

Rat chaser — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 22:22:49 +0000

Led by the biggest rat it seems. I guess they all thought they were being paid those high salaries and high benefits to just shuffle paper and do whatever they wanted without consequences. I hope Ms. Marshall was right when she said yesterday that Government would be going after those that didn’t follow financial instructions. I believe the statement was “watch out, we’re coming after you”….scurry scurry scurry go the rats

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 22:07:51 +0000

We now have the Civil Servants saying they are not responsible after we have had Ministers saying they are not responsible. So no one is accountable and no one actually has any responsibility or accountability when it comes to Bermuda’s finances? So are we the tax payers who have been fleeced hundreds of millions of dollars according to the various Auditor General’s Reports supposed to say oh well no one is to blame?

If that is the case it is time we the tax payers say enough is enough and refuse to pay taxes. We pay Civil Servants and we pay Ministers. Enough is enough.

By: Zevon

Zevon — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 21:38:33 +0000

So a civil servant couldn’t have caught the double payments? Isn’t that exactly the kind of procedural checking that a civil servant should be doing?
Were they too busy taking their 70 days sick leave?

By: Dockyard Lackey

Dockyard Lackey — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 20:25:23 +0000

The Civil Service is not staffed by hard working, dedicated staff. Far from it. Most are seen sitting on their butts while earning a decent wage and good benefits. They are heavily over staffed and everyone knows that. There are some very hard working and dedicated employees, but everyone turns a blind eye to the hangers on who are untouchable as far a discipline is concerned because of the influence of the BPSU.
Another point Mr. Binns seems to have overlooked is the overpayments. Cabinet Ministers do not sign cheques, civil servants do. So how come so many duplicate payments were made during the regime of DREB and the COG?

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 20:17:30 +0000

Did you ever get the feeling that the lights just turned on in the storeroom where all the goodies are kept & the first thing seen are all of the rats scurrying for cover?

By: OMG

OMG — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 20:07:22 +0000

Only a civil servant could support this type of self serving mentality.

By: OMG

OMG — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 20:05:54 +0000

I am absolutely disgusted by the article. Dr. Binns has no problem collected the high benefits package that comes with being a senior civil servant but is unwilling to accept the responsibilites that also goes with it. He should be setting the example for other civil servants not hiding from responsibilty. Something is truly wrong here and I hope Government will make an example of him and his fellow PS cronies. Bermuda is no longer willing to accept such questional issues from it public servants particularly NOT from its leader. After this article I higly question this mans abilty to lead anything let alone the entire civil service. SMH

By: Truth

Truth — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 18:40:21 +0000

You sir, want to inform us of Good Governance?….. what a JOKE!

Under your leadership, the Civil Service is in the state of FUNCTIONAL DECLINE…. Anyone can take words to sound good…..but those of us tuned-in know what your actions have been.

By: Really?

Really? — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 18:00:32 +0000

Great explanation of the respective roles, clear and concise. Thank you.

Now everyone should know who is to be held accountable for what.

By: jt

jt — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 17:52:17 +0000

I would simply ask Dr. Binns to explain the findings of the AG report in the context of what he is saying here. Someone has to be held accountable. Surely he can’t dispute that. This was a lot of money. If it’s not individuals in the CS because they were merely following ministerial orders than those orders and who gave them need to be provided because in their absence consequences should fall directly on the heads of the CS – starting at the top.

By: have some backbone

have some backbone — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 17:43:52 +0000

The information shared by Dr. Binns should be suffice to silence ALL critics of the Civil Service Sector of Government, in this country. The information is precise, obviously necessary for the public to know, and truthful. Thank you, Dr. Binns

By: Andrew Little

Andrew Little — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 16:52:14 +0000

Looks good on paper… so now we need a Minister of Accountability and Enforcement… with particular emphasis on enforcement… wishful thinking, now back to reality!

By: Comedian Dr. Binns

Comedian Dr. Binns — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 16:39:53 +0000

As someone who has worked for not only the Civil Service, but directly for Dr. Binns in a previous capacity, he has a talent for downplaying significant short-comings and protecting near-useless civil servants. Dr. Binns should not be trusted in his role as head of the Civil Service, and is extremely overpaid for someone unable to make difficult decisions.