UNC WOMEN’S ARM : “HYPOCRITE CAMILLE”

Chairman of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Women’s League Camille Robinson-Regis in a statement told women that “they hold the purchasing power in their hands.”

“The league is also encouraging citizens to buy local as much as possible and firmly believes that the nation can work together to combat food prices both as consumers and industry giant.”

The above statement would have been commendable and plausible if it wasn’t coming from a senior government minister who sat in cabinet since 1992, including the past six and a half years. During that time, she implemented some of the most draconian austerity measures, even while she abused her Ministerial credit card access for personal expenses, earning her the nickname “Credit Card Camille”.

Mrs. Robinson-Regis by collective cabinet responsibility agreed to 12.5% VAT being placed on over 7,000 food items that was zero rated under the Mrs. Persad-Bissessar/UNC administration.

Mrs. Robinson-Regis also agreed to cabinet decision to implement a 7% online shopping Tax, and the removal of fuel subsidy which saw diesel increased from $1.50 per liter in 2015 to $3.41 by 2020 almost 130% increase.

Robinson-Regis and her government also took the decision to shut down Petrotrin and send over 9,000 workers on the breadline and decimated the small and micro businesses on the fence-line, what happened? Mrs. Robinson-Regis didn’t know or she just didn’t care how those decisions affected women?

It is hypocritical to say “buy local” when we had a refinery making our own fuel and they closed it down and now importing fuel.

Chairman Camille Robinson-Regis “appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture to vigorously continue its growbox campaign so that kitchen gardens will significantly help reduce the high food import bill.”

Where was Camille Robinson-Regis when her leader Keith Rowley lambasted UNC deputy leader Jearlean John for her growbox project in La Horquetta? Worse, doesn’t she remember that while she was Minister of Planning and Development in 2003, Caroni, Ltd. was closed down by her Cabinet? This affected thousands of women, many of whom were heads of households, and drastically destroyed our country’s agricultural sector to this day. The fault lies squarely on her shoulders.

The policies of the PNM government which Robinson-Regis is part of are the real reasons why so many people are suffering and it seems like there is no end in sight, with the pending increase in Water and Electricity rates and Property Tax only more hardship ahead.

But I want to remind Camille Robinson-Regis that women don’t only hold purchasing power, they also hold “voting power” and the day will come when they will use that power to remove this oppressive PNM regime.

National Women’s Arm
United National Congress