Last night the two Peters (CBC reporter Peter Thorne and pollster Peter Wickham) were discussing the possible formation of the new Cabinet. Thorne raised the much-discussed issue of the relative inexperience of the DLP team and queried whether the DLP might bring back some of their 'old hands' as Senators and maybe Ministers.
Wickham dismissed it and said that the BLP was also inexperienced when they came into office. While this is true to some extent, they were certainly nowhere as inexperienced as the current Dem team which only has one member - Thompson who has even been in Government before. This is understandable as they have been out of power for 14 years before Tuesday so many of their old hands have bowed out of politics. The Bees on the other hand came into office in 94 only 8 years out of government (86-94)so they still had several people who had experience of being in government before and had actually been Ministers - Billie Miller, Louis Tull, Johnny Cheltenham, Bree St. John and Henry Forde.
Honestly I don't think it's any great shame for the Dems to have an inexperienced team - it's kind of like the Barack Obama/ Hilary Clinton argument that is going on now in the States - experience vs. change (though I must note that Hilary Clinton's much vaunted '35 years of experience' argument rings rather hollow when you take into account the fact that only 7 of those years have been as an elected official - the rest was as a lawyer and first lady - and if we are counting that as experience, why not vote for Laura Bush?).
But back to my point - the people showed that it is not just experience they wanted but a change. The feeling was that those with the experience had become smug.
Still, I quite agree with Thorne's suggestion that the Dems might look at bringing back some of their old hands - the party does have people with ministerial experience who though old, are still rather spranxious, so use them. Brandford Taitt just ran a whole election campaign - he must have some fuel left in his tank. They would be well advised to bring in some of those ppl if not as Ministers, as Special Advisors or something like that, so they can guide the new young ministers.
As to the new young ministers - I gave a few of my guesses for various cabinet posts the other day and have been discussing it constantly with others - it's all anyone is talking about. I take back my call of Patrick Todd as Minister of Education. He's a nice man, but I had forgotten that both Ronald Jones and marginally defeated candidate Undene Whittaker have both been heads of the Barbados Union of Teachers so presumably they both know education issues tall. It would be hard to beat that for experience so Todd might have to hold on to a smaller ministry or maybe be Minister of State.
As to Minister of Tourism. I see in today's paper that Wickham and David Ellis were discussing it on Starcom yesterday and both Donville Inniss and Austin Husbands have been suggested. I actually think Inniss might be a better fit for what used to be Industry and International Business, since that is actually his area of work right now. Austin Husbands actually works in tourism and has been on the BTA in one of its former incarnations so he might be a better bet.
I think Irene Sandiford-Garner could be the Minister of Culture - she and her husband actually run an entertainment management company and he was into the arts (either dance or theatre) in his younger days. Furthermore, Thompson has stated he wants to have a strong female presence and he needs to add weight to Irene and Undene because they both nearly brought it home for the Dems this time in tough constituencies and deserve to be rewarded for such. I'm not sure what they would add to Culture for Irene though- maybe put CBC under her mandate as well...?
Chris Sinckler I think will be Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade since again that is his present career path and I think Richard Sealy might get transport and works, as an engineer.
But all shall be revealed on Monday.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
David has been right so far not to bring back any of the DLP old hands. He should not bring them back in any capacity. Physically they are too old. And those of us who are also old remember why we sent them home in 1994.
Post a Comment