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News
Defiant Portia defends Cabinet size
Prime minister says executive’s size meets country’s needs
BY PAUL HENRY Crime/Court Desk Coordinator henryp@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, January 09, 2012
PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday defended the size of her Cabinet, saying that the number was necessary due to the level of work needed to get the country moving in the right direction as fast as possible.
"Given the present situation in the country at this time, for us to get running, we had to have enough people to get the work done immediately," said the prime minister during an impromptu press briefing following a service at the Portmore New Testament Church of God in Bayside, St Catherine, which was attended by Government ministers and other officials.
The 20-member Executive, along with eight state ministers, was sworn in on Friday, but the prime minister immediately came under criticism from political analysts and other commentators over the size of the Executive. The critics also stated that Simpson Miller had herself criticised the then Prime Minister Bruce Golding over his 18-member Cabinet.
During the swearing in ceremony at King's House, Simpson Miller sought to defend her decision to appoint that number of junior ministers, calling it a part of the succession plan. This, however, did not stop the flood of criticism.
Yesterday, an unfazed Simpson Miller defended the decision.
"I heard the criticisms and I had made criticisms myself. But the country was calling for succession planning," said Simpson Miller.
"How do I do that? First of all with the state of the country, you have to get the people with the required experience to take charge now. How are we going to get the young people involved if you do not assign them to the experienced seniors so they can come into their own?" she said.
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1/9/2012
Appreciate it when I see Jamaicans on this blog calling wrong when dem si wrong and putting aside their political affiliations. This is the level of political discourse that is needed in Jamaica. Austerity is needed Mrs. PM, people voted for you IN SPITE of the 18 years of PNP rule, because they believe YOU can make a difference. Three cousin's working for you appears to be nepotism and doesn't send the right message. Don't let the old heads in your party bring u dung!
1/9/2012
Red Ants for me the issue is not so much the size of the cabinet but the credibility factor after the utterances that were made.
1/9/2012
@JayBrown Well Said
1/9/2012
Whilst some JLP supporters are jumping on this cabinet thing just for politicking sake & some PNP supporters are defending it blindly along party lines. The fact is as PM for all Jamaican including now what is the largest block of voters the disengaged who don’t go out to vote (800,000) or cant even bother to get enumerated (500,000) .PSM missed her first big opportunity to show US all that things are really new and different and that is the tragedy
1/9/2012
Portia now is not the time for succesion plannig...thats a lame excuse for the size of the cabinet...according to you now is the time for managing the economy and creating Jobs...be very care full of this Job Promise...the PNP has never been known for great job creation...they have been known as great Pie Dividers....lets see...give her some time
1/9/2012
I dont really have a problem with the size of the Cabinet .... I have a problem with the hypocrisy of the Portia Posse; they use the most denigrating and disgusting language about other people's actions and then turn around and copy said actions and find all sorts of PR to defend said moves. Kind of like Obama and Guantanamo Bay - which he had sworn to close within his first year in Office .... four years later nothing has changed. Socialists behave the same worldwide - no integrity.
1/9/2012
The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, I salute you my Queen but you are wrong mam. You cannot tell Bruce Golding that what he had cost taxpayers too much then you go and increase the too much that he had by much more. You just cannot do it. I am looking for a reversal ASAP!
I was not looking forward to a return to PNP marginal growth. If you continue on this path of increasing costs with silly reasons, you will be hard-pressed to even match those slim margins. Reversal please! Now!
1/9/2012
@ Jay Brown, I agree with you on the reversal of the Most Hon PM Portia's word. This really does go to TRUST and serves to undermine the positive look of her new tenure.
I disagree on "size does not matter matter". We are supposed to be looking to cut costs, not increase cost. What is the benefit to the country of this larger cabinet? What was the benefit to the country of Mike Henry's refurbished house? Why change office furniture just to look good if nothing wrong with the old? Wi bruk, Jay!
1/9/2012
I agree with getting the young people in the mix because most of the old guards are getting ready to pack up.The JLP bloggers campaign talk was young people time now,not because they loose the battle on the young people issue that does not mean the young people should be push in a corner like my good friend Mr.Tom Stroke who is out of hospital and looking somewhere to go.DwL.
Even Clovis himself see the need for some new furniture,Lol
1/9/2012
I am on record of saying , the size of the cabinet does not matter as long as they deliver the goods and does so quickly. Jamaicans would have accepted her explanation had she not stridently complain of uncaring the previous administration was when they named a 19 man cabinet given the state of the country finances.
It now comes down to trust and credibility, which is what Jamaicans voted for. You said you would not, then you turned around and did what you said you would not do,
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