Self Distraction

I knew this would come to this. Minister Warner today said that he does not care who it is, but the PM should be afforded an assistant, be it sister or cousin. He does not care and any PM should be afforded same. I agree with Warner. BUT!!!, you see, for me [maybe others] it was NEVER about the PM having an assistant. It was always about the process involved in employing this person, how she was to be compensated.


Early on as the debates took over I commented on this stating; "But my only issue is with regards to our tax dollars being used to pay for this. and the PM has all rights to have an assistant or whatever she wants to call it. I am not sure if anyone is arguing this. we must also consider all the different excuses offered as questions were raised. I think it was done all wrong, this person should have been employed with the state (but then again, there would have been issues there she being the sister). By being employed by the state, she would have had to go through all the processes, but of course this was not done. Had the PM really paid for this out of her pocket [as she attempted to so do] there would have been no issue (but according to a senior public servant that was not allowed) but the PM instead went ahead with someone she trusted, I don't think we should have issues with this (Manning went to Cuba to have medical treatment because of trust issues and I am not saying because Manning did it the PM should also).
The senior public servant went on to explain the circumstances under which Newton was "hired, The Cabinet agreed to pay Newton's airfare and hotel accommodation and meals, "but she was not treated like a public officer, and what was granted to her was actual expenses (as opposed to a per diem which, in most cases, is based on a formula which takes into account things that someone on official duty would have to carry out)".

But, all this is information that came to us after the fact, after many raised concerns, after we have been told that the PM paid, that this person was not actually paid. From one story to the next, we were going around in circles on this issue. Not that this is anything unique, almost on every issue it's the same routine. Why could we not have gotten the facts as they were from the beginning.

The following is a piece by Mariano Browne reproduced here. It was taken from a Facebook Group with permission from the Admin of that group [Manuel Browne]. Whom I thought laid it out nicely.

On the PM' sister as traveling companion

The rules allow all PMs a personal assistant as distinct from an advisor. . The President has an aide de camp as head of Household for that very reason.
It is normal for that personal assistant to come from the protocol department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reason for this should be obvious . There are more than a fair share of protocol issues that come up on foreign trips including what to wear at all, how to greet medicines et al. Manning's Personal assistant came from FA as did Basdeo Panday and ANR Robinson. And there are female protocol officers and I am sure that one would have been provided.

The policy guideline quoted to support the addition of Ms. Newton was amended to cater for officials of state enterprises travelling as part of the official delegation to support government initiatives on an ad hoc basis. This policy does not cover the instant case and hence the several different explanations which are all contradictory. The explanation is probably the only one ; that the PM is comfortable with her sister.

The first issue therefore is, that over and above that of what the state provides, (and subject to correction, the personal assistant travels on these trips as well ) that an additional resource not in the employ of the state and not on the board of any state enterprise, or as part of the official delegation pursuing the state's business is attached to the team and paid in accordance with the schedule of allowances for officials at the highest level.

The second issue is the matter of nepotism and the inclusion of family at the highest level. this speaks to a pattern. We know of at least 4 nephews who are either Ambassadors or Counsels representing the country in foreign missions.
The third issue is one of double standards and a whip created by the UNC in opposition and that is the quantum of foreign travel. As was the use of a Government issued credit card to Ministers.

We are all entitled to take sides. What is clear is that the judgement of the Prime Minister is being challenged. No human, male or female is perfect; far from it. And mistakes and missteps will happen, gender dividend notwithstanding.

Mariano Browne

Therefore, for Minister Warner to come today and educate us on the need for a Prime Minister to have an assistant is a slap in the face, he might as well have just spat in our faces. But I understand how Minister Warner got to this place. Daily as this issue broke, the so called intellects were all over the social networks with comments like "yuh mean the PM cannot take her own pills?", "she musse need help when she fall fall down". So I fully understand why Warner would make such a statement today. But I also know that that is not the real issue here. The real issue is that of procedure, accountability and transparency. We have seen due to unique [first female PM on her first trip] circumstances that arrangements had to be made.
What I could understand was, why all the conflicting stories on this one issue from the Government?