The blogmaster has provided a few matter of fact comments to describe a first impressions of members of the largest Cabinet in the history of Barbados. Ministers who did not face the electorate were given a pass. In fact unelected ministers in Cabinet (Shontal Munroe-Knight, Lisa Cummins, Jerome Walcott) add no special skills to Cabinet and have been selected for ‘other’ reasons.
Miss Santia Bradshaw, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works – her tenure to date is a failed implementation of education reform, chaos at the Licensing Authority and speculation about a $7,500.00 cheque.
Mr. Dwight Sutherland, Minister of Housing will be remembered so far for a bungled Chinese houses project initiated by his predecessor Minister William Duguid in 2021. In addition to continuing the policy of previous governments of carving up good agriculture land located in the heartland of Barbados.
Attorney General Dale Marshall has probably come under the most fire of ministers in Cabinet. Under his watch the case load in the Barbados Courts remains high, violent crime remains high. There has been no significant achievements that has led to change in law and order in Barbados.
Mr. Indar Weir, Minister of Agriculture does a good job of creating the perception he is a hard working minister, but, the food import bill has not declined significantly under his watch. The agriculture sector lacks resilience.
Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism presides over a sector benefitting from a resurgence in global travel. He can only be faulted because the sector continues to be affected by the lack of product development.
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados will be remembered as one of our most popular prime ministers. She has done well to grow her international reputation. So far in her term she has been able to stablize the economy in the post DLP years from 2018. Her rule is plagued by a lack of visionary and revolutionary change.
Ms. Kay McConney, Minister of Education wins the label as the most controversial member of the Cabinet to date. The issue pundits speculated would have forced her removal from Cabinet, the IDB questionnaire affair, she survived it. It pays to have a close friend in high office.
Mr. Colin Jordan, Minister of Labour and Social Security goes about his job quietly, too quietly for many. He will be remembered so far for presiding over an NISS whose audited financial statements have been unavailable to withstand the scrutiny of the public and satisfy finanial managment best practice and the law.
Mr. Kerri Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has largely operated in the shadow of Prime Minister Mottley. So far the blogmastersees his legacy as an ‘attack dog’ who relishes the job.
Mrs. Sandra Husbands,Minister of State Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (with responsibility for Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Training) many argue she should be the substantive minister of education. Seems to be a hard worker with a good gift of gab.
Mr. Ryan Straughn, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment the primary of the many financial actors in government responsible for implementing government’s Washington Consensus ideology.
Mr. Wilfred Abrahams, Minister of Home Affairs and Information. He must be remembered for the fiasco at the Government Industrial School. Did heads roll?
Mr. William Duguid,Minister of Planning and Development – Prime Minister’s Office and Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for coordinating Infrastructural Projects and development commissions, minister with the longest title and should have been demoted after the failed Chinese houses project, instead he was promoted.
Ms.Marsha Caddle, Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology seems to be well intentioned. She has been tested in recent months because of government’s weak IT governance and systems.
Mr. Corey Layne, Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General (with focus on Crime Prevention) given the most difficult job in Cabinet. He has to execute plans that will need time to bear results but he will be measured today by an anxious public concerned about the increase in crime especially among the youth.
Mr. Kirk Humphrey,Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs needs to do more. Old people suffering more than at any time in our history in the opinion of the blogmaster.
Mr. Davidson Ishmael, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness sacked from the Innovation ministry after poor Trident ID implementation was transferred to Health. The PM must see something in him.
Mr. Charles Griffith,Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, government is doing all that it can to retain the St. John seat. Griffith will need to add significantly to his body of work
Mr. Adrian Forde,Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy needs to take a drive around Barbados while viewing it through an unfiltered lens.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.