Folks, it becoming very hard for me to keep up with the many stories and angles to this new scandal with the PM’s travel assistant, Vidwatie Newton. The trajectory goes:
- The Indian Government has paid for travel expenses to India
- I paid for my sister out of my own pocket.
- The treasury has been paying for all of Ms Newton’s travel expenses
- Kamla speaks out to say this is allowed because it happened under previous Prime Ministers
- Kamla now insists that she tried to pay with a check but her $$$$ was refused.
I am convinced that by midday today we will hear another story. Because this govt is a fiction machine and churns them out faster than the Sweet Valley High series. The latest story claims the PM’s money was refused. Or so I have been advised that the PM has been advised. And the Express’ sources are an unnamed past public servant who constantly reminded us that it was “unprecedented” to have a female PM and an unnamed Minister who both claim the PM did nothing wrong. My questions would be, if past Prime Ministers had male protocol officers, why couldn’t a female protocol officer be hired for the PM? Why give the nation so many different stories? Why lie and say you paid out of your pocket when you clearly never did? And still, what are these needs you have that are specific to a female? The story talks about clothes being ironed, and medication being taken….that’s not gender specific. And why are we paying Ms Newton a per diem, and buying an “assistant” first class tickets?
Is your travel assistant living at La Fantaisie Road while you live in Siparia? Is she also using the PM’s official car, while you use the helicopter?
When questioned about the claims she made about President Robinson, the PM deflected and referred to an unnamed Public Servant as her source. In short some unidentified person in the government told the PM that other PMs have done this and it was on that basis that she did what she did.
The Prime Minister all but said eff you to the nation yesterday when pressed by reporters about her sister functioning as her travel assistant. I have nothing more to say. What else is there to say? People are always going to complain!
We’ve just witnessed the PM use national funds, money from the treasury, indiscriminately and you are basically telling us Madam PM that you don’t need to explain anything to the country, or do better. I guess we should put our fingers on our lips, right?
Vernella Alleyne-Toppin. Photo courtesy Trinidad Guardian's website.
Following closely in the footsteps of her leader, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin yesterday refused to accept that she had done anything wrong. Instead, in a loud, strident voice she continues to claim that she did nothing wrong, is a person of intergrity, was unaware that she wasn’t supposed to use the card in the way she did. I guess the louder she says she didn’t do anything wrong, while there is a paper trail to show otherwise; and the louder she claims to be a woman of integrity, while there is a paper trail to show otherwise, we must believe her. It was left to the executive of Shoppin-Toppin’s political party the TOP to upbraid her.
But the TOP didn’t hire and appoint Shoppin Toppin….it was the voters of Trinidad and Tobago and the PM….what’s the PM’s position on this? Is she going to tell us, “Move on.”
This TOP in its categoric condemnation of Toppin’s behaviour also blamed the Ministry of Finance for allowing the misuse of the credit card to continue…Dooks what you have to say boy? And I doubt very much that Shoppin Toppin is going to apologise.
SO, in short, we have 2 incidences of Wrong and Strong Female Leadership. Both the Prime Minister and a Government Minister have abused public funds and refuse to apologise….and in the PM’s case I don’t expect to see an end to the behaviour.
In more People’s Panchayat news the PM has been advised that there is no ultimatum from the MSJ. I confused….the MSJ there are problems within the partnership, and they giving you 2 months to address it….oh, sorry, that’s just a deadline. My bad.
The Hot Shot Top Cops can’t be disciplined or fired….and the Police Service Welfare President is hopping mad and has called the Police service Commission a toothless bulldog! Let’s face the truth Deosaran, Gibbs won’t be fired. He’s not a public servant, nor is Ewatski. They here to stay. No government gets rid of its Fall Guy if it can help it.
Little Jack Warner facing some FIFA hot water again as a German journalist and cameraman followed him around on site visits to protesting communities yesterday. Warner was yesterday drumming up support for his UNC internal elections bid for party chairman. He went on record to say sorry to protesting villagers for the poor road conditions. All part of his consistent campaign to get PURE put back into his hands. Why do we have a man embroiled in so much corruption in FIFA still functioning as a govt minister here?
Yesterday the Minister of Transport jumped into the fray in support of Maxi Drivers. And it almost come like a case of himself protesting against himself….so I wondering, Devant have a fleet of Maxi he want to change ownership on? He have a horse in this race????
And the latest at Asa Wright Nature Centre is that the mining has stopped….for how long…we don’t know…but we keeping an eye…and no government minister has bothered to explain why this Govt is still in bed with Sunway Construction…a company they vilified during their election campaign of 2010.
De Vice Cyah Done!
The Eternal Pantomime 