KINGSTON, Jamaica – Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller today announced the members of her spokesperson council.

Simpson Miller in a news release said: “In service to the people of Jamaica and in keeping with our responsibility as the Opposition in the Parliament, I am today announcing the Opposition Council of Spokespersons”.

Simpson Miller pointed out that the list is not her Shadow Cabinet, but her council.

“The Spokespersons Council is not intended to shadow precisely the Cabinet as structured, and the Council is not a Shadow Cabinet”

“This is a Spokespersons Council in which I have sought to include the vast majority of our Parliamentarians, so as to adequately cover and give effective oversight to all subject areas, and importantly, to provide experience to our younger Parliamentarians,” she continued.

The release made mention of Dr Omar Davies, Robert Pickersgill and Derrick Kellier opting out of being included in the Spokespersons Council, but will provide guidance and mentorship to the council as a whole, and will concentrate on political matters.

Fitz Jackson has, for personal reasons, asked to be permitted to concentrate on his Parliamentary duties and personal business.

“I have mandated each spokesperson to establish a task force for their subject area. The task forces will support the spokespersons and encourage wide participation in their work. Each task force will be chaired by a person who is not a Parliamentarian,” Simpson Miller said.

The Council is as follows:

• Leader of the Opposition, Defence,  Social Transformation, Community Development and Gender Affairs – Portia Simpson-Miller  with Deputy Colin Fagan

• Finance and Planning – Peter Phillips

• Public Service and Public Sector Modernisation – Senator Lambert Brown

• Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade – Dr  Morais Guy

• National Security – Peter Bunting

• Energy and Mining (and Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) – Phillip Paulwell

• Industry, Investment and Commerce – Anthony Hylton

• Justice and Governance (and Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate) – Senator Mark Golding

• Education and Training – Ronald Thwaites with deputy Michael Stewart

• Tourism – Dr Wykeham McNeil

• Health – Horace Dalley with deputy Dr Lynvale Bloomfield

• Information and the Knowledge Economy – Julian Robinson with deputy Dwayne Vaz

• Land and the Environment – Senator Sophia Frazer-Binns

• Agriculture – Dr Dayton Campbell with deputy Victor Wright

• Transport – Mikael Phillips

• Works – Richard Azan with deputy Dr Winston Green.

• Housing and Rural Development – Luther Buchanan

• Labour and Social Security – Fenton Ferguson with deputy Senator Floyd Morris

• Youth and Culture – Lisa Hanna

• Sport and Entertainment – Natalie Neita Headley

• Local Government – Noel Arscott with deputy Denise Daley

• Water and Climate Change –Ian Hayles with deputy Evon Redman