THE new Cabinet ministers took their oaths of office yesterday to the backdrop of a warning from Prime Minister P J Patterson that they would have no honeymoon and that neither he nor the people would tolerate ministerial governmental arrogance.

“I must insist that we remember at all times the sins and consequences of arrogance in not only how we say things but also how we do things,” Patterson said after the 16 ministers had declared their allegiance to the Jamaican people and to do their jobs in accordance with the constitution.

“We have to lead by example… We must be humble so that we can truly serve our nation,” Patterson added.

The prime minister did not indicate what sanctions would be imposed on those ministers who failed to operate by the code he has enunciated in all his speeches since his People’s National Party (PNP) won the October 16 general elections.

He, however, highlighted the impact on the whole when even one ministry or section of government did not perform.

“As prime minister you learn that no matter how you cut up and carve government there is a necessary interaction and interconnection,” he said. “It is like a body and if one organ is not functioning the whole body suffers, and we cannot afford an ailing nation.”

Patterson’s PNP gained 34 of the seats in the 60-member House of Representatives in the elections, against 26 for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The eight-seat majority was the slimmest for a government in three decades.

The new Cabinet includes first-time member, Aloun N’dombet Assamba, a former senator, who won a seat in the House and a promotion by being given responsibility for the tourism and industry portfolios. She had joined the executive last November as a deputy to the then embattled industry, commerce and technology minister, Phillip Paulwell.

Also making a come-back were former information minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, who now has a seat in the House and the education portfolio; and former foreign minister Paul Robertson, who is now minister for development, operating out of the Office of the Prime Minister.

Henry-Wilson, the PNP general-secretary, and Robertson, its campaign director, left the Cabinet a year ago, at a time when the PNP was trailing in opinion polls, and were assigned to prepare the party for the general elections. Their re-emergence is being seen as rewards for their performance and the PNP’s victory.

But with the PNP having been in office for 13 years and winning its fourth consecutive term in office, Patterson stressed that ministers would have no time before they settled down to their jobs and begin to produce results.

“There is no honeymoon period,” he said in remarks after the governor-general, Sir Howard Cooke, had administered the oaths at King’s House, the head of state’s official residence, in a morning ceremony. “I cannot think of a single ministry that will not have a formidable task to undertake. I have taken this into full account in the assignment and adjustment of the ministers.”

Three members of the last Cabinet — Anthony Hylton, mining and energy; Arnold Bertram, local government; and Colin Campbell, information — lost their House seats in the elections, and it appeared that Patterson was keeping to his policy of not appointing to the Senate, candidates rejected by the people.

Up to four ministers can come from the appointed Senate, but there are two in this Cabinet — Burchell Whiteman, the former education minister, who now holds the information portfolio and A J Nicholson, who retains the job of attorney-general and minister of justice.

Faced with a national swing against the PNP, the party lost 13 seats it held in the previous Parliament, but among the major complaints of constituents was a lack of contact with their representatives. In fact, Hylton’s frequent absences from the country when he was foreign trade minister has been credited with contributing to his defeat in the elections.

Patterson, in his address yesterday, said he would ensure that the ministers equally fulfil their portfolio responsibilities and their roles as MPs.

“The electorate wants to be in close and continuous touch with those that they elect to serve them and I am going to insist that my ministers and members of the government always keep in touch,” he said.

Also, Patterson emphasised that his new administration would be more accommodating of public participation. He mentioned that this was necessary to reduce crime and accelerate economic development.

With regards to the reduction of crime he said: “The issue of destroying the evil monster of crime and violence… is not a matter only for the minister of national security and the security forces, but every section of the society has to lock in to that struggle.”

Patterson also called for a partnership with the private sector in the effort to generate growth and national development.

Said he: “We have to work with the private sector in a partnership. You (private sector) assert that you are the engines of growth, let us work together in building a sound economy that enables us to reduce our burden of debt and provide more resources for the social programmes which this country needs.

“We have to incorporate our overseas communities who have been contributing in several ways in the past but have to now become even more effectively engaged.”

Patterson also repeated that the administration would focus substantially on the problems of inequality, disunity and injustice in the society.

The members of the new Cabinet are as follows:

* P J Patterson, prime minister and minister of defence;

* Dr Omar Davies, finance and planning;

* Portia Simpson Miller, local gov’t, community development & sport;

* Robert Pickersgill, transport & works;

* Dr Peter Phillips, national security/House leader;

* Roger Clarke, agriculture;

* K D Knight, foreign affairs & foreign trade;

* Dr Paul Robertson, development (Cabinet office);

* Burchell Whiteman, information (Office of the PM);

* Maxine Henry-Wilson, education, youth & culture;

* John Junor, health;

* A J Nicholson, attorney-general/justice;

* Phillip Paulwell, commerce, science & technology;

* Donald Buchanan, water & housing;

* Horace Dalley, labour & social security;

* Dean Peart, land & environment; and

* Aloun Assamba, industry & tourism.