Broomes was starved of resources as Government Minister

Former Government Minister Simona Broomes
Former Minister of Government Simona Broomes who served the David Granger Cabinet before the APNU was thrown out of office, did not have adequate resources to perform her functions as a Minister of Government.

On Sunday, Broomes said that while she believes that her time in office was ‘above board’ and at the expectations of Guyanese people, she lacked the adequate resources and support to do better on the job.

Broomes was at the time speaking during an interview with Village Voice News Sunday afternoon.

Simona Broomes started off her ministerial tour of duties in the APNU Government at the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour where she worked under Volda Lawrence who was the senior minister.

Broomes was then moved to the Ministry of Natural Resources where again, she served as a junior minister, this time, under Raphael Trotman.

“At the Ministry of Natural Resources, I did not have the resources. There was no clear role or responsibilities from the Minister [Raphael Trotman],” Broomes said in the interview.

The situation was no different at the Ministry of Social Protection as Broomes was reportedly restricted from visiting business places to ensure compliance with labour laws guaranteed workers rights.

It was reported that when Broomes was reigning in errant employers for several breaches in the labour laws and codes, a number of businesses, many who has supported the APNU’s 2015 elections campaign, began complaining to senior government functionaries that Broomes was hurting their businesses.

Broomes then moved to the Ministry of the Presidency directly under the watchful eyes of then President David Granger who appointed her as Minister with responsibility for Youth Affairs.

While the new portfolio seemed wonderful at the time, Broomes was tucked into a little room in the Ministry of the Presidency’s Complex with a portfolio and no budgetary allocation as her reassignment came after the government fell in a no-confidence motion brought by the then Opposition’s Peoples Progressive Party Civic.

“If more resources and I think when I served, if some of the decisions or some of the things I saw and know could’ve made a difference were supported, I think I could’ve done way way more,” Broomes said in her interview.

Speaking directly about the reassignments, the former Minister said she was not unhappy with the exposure those appointments afforded.

She did not opt to serve as a Member of Parliament for the now Opposition party but says she is still a member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) which leads the APNU_AFC Coalition.

This she said was a personal decision but did not expound on her reasons.

Broomes said she is not done with politics as she is committed to the people of Guyana.

She debunked claims that she is forming her own political party and noted that when that decision is made, it will be made public.

In the meantime, with infighting in the party signalled by two No-Confidence Motion brought against the Leader of the PNC/R David Granger, the politician called for her comrades to “hold the line of battle.”

She said as part of the party’s song comrades must “live as comrades,” noting that “this too shall pass.”