In less than 24 hours of the previous post in the Line in The Sand series (Part 9) there was a surprise announcement by the Prime Minister through his Information Minister Daryl Vaz of a cabinet reshuffle late yesterday evening which saw the expected casualties gone that of Dorothy Lightbourne as since the Manatt afair she has been under serious pressure.
The last time we saw Golding having cabinet trouble was in September 2009, I made a cute post then on it here:
Here is a list of the changes now in effect:
Clive Mullings: Energy and Mining
Booted:
Dorothy Lightbourne
Ministerial changes:
Robert Montague, Agriculture and Fisheries
Dr Christopher Tufton, Industry, Investment and Commerce
Arthur Williams, Without portfolio - public service
Delroy Chuck, Justice
New juniors
Gregory Mair, Education
Othneil Lawrence, Transport and Works
Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, National Security
More duties
Shahine Robinson, Takes on local gov't
Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, Tapped for House Speaker
Dr Horace Chang, Takes on environment
Effective July 1
According to the OPM, the appointments will take effect on Friday, July 1 and will coincide with the reassignment of subjects, departments and agencies based on the recommendations of the Public Sector Master Rationalisation Plan developed by the PSTU and approved by the Cabinet.
"This includes the transfer of responsibility for the public sector from the Ministry of Finance to the Cabinet Office and the redesignation of the Ministry of Water and Housing as the Ministry of Housing, Environment and Water," the OPM said, noting that this ministry would be headed by Dr Horace Chang.
"With the appointment to the Cabinet of the Honourable Delroy Chuck, the position of speaker of the House of Representatives will become vacant," the OPM noted. "It is proposed to nominate at the next sitting of the House the deputy speaker, Mrs Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, for election as speaker of the House, and Mr Tarn Peralto as deputy speaker."
National Security Minister Dwight Nelson will assume responsibility as leader of Government Business in the Senate, replacing Lightbourne.
The new ministers are scheduled to be sworn in at King's House today at 3 p.m.
The OPM said the prime minister has expressed appreciation to Samuda and Lightbourne for their services to the Cabinet since the start of the administration.
(Mike Henry & Greg Christie GC)
Meanwhile
Minister of Transport and works Mike Henry has issues to think about with the Office of the Contractor General and the JDIP road funds, Lasmay made sure to remind us of it today (2nd cartoon above from top)
Also at around 4:30 pm yesterday as well embattled MP
Sharon Hay-Webster from the opposition benches resigned from the party but not from Parliament as she intends to run on an independent slate she said in an interview with Dionne Jackson Miller's "Beyond The Headlines" host on Radio Jamaica, she also did not rule out the possibility of crossing the floor to the ruling JLP and by the sounds of it she seems very hurt by how the PNP heirachy has handled her dual citizenship matter when it came to light she was not born here.
see also the Observer headline:
As both parties adjust and jostle for favourable positions in the eyes of the voters it is early days yet to predict but this might be a close race seeing now the Jamaica Labour Party has acceded somewhat to public pressure post the Manatt report thus avoiding further erosion of their credibility.
The PNP in a surprise move has demanded that Miss Hay Webster resign from the seat as well, a rather nasty way of showing the underbelly of the party to openly reject ones own. I am a little disappointed that Chris Tufton (Agriculture) was moved as he has made that sector so sexy with all the local produce on our shelves or high organic quality and the farmers market, I hope that Robert Montague will build on what he has left as the formulae seems to be working well.
Where are the Pink votes in all this? that is left to be seen post these overnight changes.
Peace and tolerance
H
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