Governor Bruce Dinwiddy announced the temporary and permanent ministerial responsibilities of the five recently elected members of Cabinet on Tuesday after consultation with Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts.
For practical reasons having to do with organising the Government Budget, the new ministers will assume responsibilities as assigned to the previous Cabinet until the end of the financial year on 30 June, 2005.
Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts will assume the ministry previously occupied by Julianna O’Connor-Connolly , with responsibility for Planning, Communications, District Administration and Information Technology.
On 1 July, Mr. Tibbetts will become the Minister of District Administration, Planning, Agriculture and Housing.
The responsibility of Housing, which used to fall under the Ministry of Community Services, is something Mr. Tibbetts believes deserves its own designation for several reasons.
‘The fact of the matter is that housing is a vitally important aspect of the social development of this country,’ he said. ‘Given the circumstances this country faces with the post-Ivan restoration, the housing problem becomes more acute yet.’
Mr. Tibbetts said the Ministry of Housing would thus not only look to address the housing issue as it related to the future, but it would also deal directly with housing situation relating to the Hurricane Ivan recovery.
There was another practical reason why Mr. Tibbetts thought the Ministry of Housing should be in the same portfolio as Planning.
‘Much of the housing work is physical, and will require close coordination with the Planning,’ he said. ‘There will be a lot of dovetailing between the two ministries when it comes to housing.’
Initially, Anthony Eden will assume Gilbert McLean’s old ministry of Health Services, Agriculture, Aviation and Works.
After the transition, Mr. Eden’s portfolio will be Health and Human Services.
Human Services will be a newly designated responsibility.
Cabinet Secretary Orrett Connor said the Government has not yet elaborated on the departments, agencies and statutory authorities under each responsibility in the new ministries.
‘We’ll be releasing that information well in advance of the 1 July date for assuming the new ministries,’ he said.
Mr. Connor did say the responsibility of Human Services would likely control social service agencies like Children’s and Family Services, the National Drug Council and the Women’s Resource Centre.
The responsibilities contained under the old ministry of Gender Affairs will also be included in Human Services he said.
Alden McLaughlin has assumed Roy Bodden’s previous ministry of Education, Human Resources and Culture.
In July, his ministry will be re-designated with the responsibilities of Education, Employment Relations, Youth, Sports and Culture.
Mr. McLaughlin said the change in the name of the Ministry of Human Resources to the Ministry of Employment relations had nothing to do with the approach of the ministry.
‘It was simply made to avoid confusion with the Ministry of Human Services,’ he said.
Arden McLean will assume the interim Ministry for Community Services, Youth, Sports and Gender Affairs, which was under Frank McField in the previous administration.
With the commencement of the new financial year, Mr. McLean’s ministry will be re-designated as Communications, Works & Infrastructure, with the latter being a newly named responsibility.
Charles Clifford’s ministry will undergo the least change in terms of name between now and 1 July.
He will assume McKeeva Bush’s old ministry of Tourism, Environment, Development and Commerce. Those responsibilities will remain the same after the transition, except that the ministry of Development will be re-designated as the Ministry of Investment.
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