'Cabinet making' and shuffling

Ken Jones, Contributor

In reshuffling and naming 17 persons to his Cabinet, Prime Minister Golding may seem extravagant to some. However, he falls short of the record for large Cabinets. The People's National Party still holds the record of 20, which was set in 1977 by the then-revered Prime Minister Michael Manley.

Incidentally, the size of the first Cabinet in 1962 was 14. This rose to 17 in the second term. Nobody saw a need to explain; perhaps because the economy was growing at an average of near six per cent per annum.

The size of P.J. Patterson's 1998 Cabinet was 17. He later reshuffled but kept the number intact. The only thing he had to explain then was his retention of K.D. Knight, for whose dismissal there was a public outcry. Under his watch as minister of national security, the murder rate had climbed from 439 in 1990, peaking at 1,038 in 1997.

Mr Patterson shuffled again in 2000 when the number of Cabinet posts rose to 18. Then in 2001, under some public pressure, he shuffled again, bringing the number back to 17. On that occasion, Knight was relieved of the national security ministry.

Of the 2001 reshuffle of posts, a Gleaner report said:

"... The most glaring, and welcome in most areas, being the switching of National Security and Justice Minister K.D. Knight, to the recombined Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Knight, who had been at the national security and justice ministry since the PNP election victory of 1989, was seen generally as the worst performing minister in the administrations of former Prime Minister Michael Manley, and Patterson. In his 12 years at the helm of national security and justice, Knight has seen close to 10,000 Jamaicans dying violently, while there has been a proliferation of drug-related activities.

He always maintained that he would not resign, effectively silencing critics, usually opposition parties, while insisting that he was trying his best."

Another reshuffle

In 2002, P.J. shuffled again, but stuck with the 17. This figure held until Portia Simpson Miller took over and cut the number to 14 Cabinet ministers. However, she increased the workforce by naming 12 junior ministers.

For the benefit of the generation of commentators who have forgotten or never knew, the 1977 Cabinet was as follows:

1. Office of the Prime Minister: Michael Manley, prime minister and minister of defence

2. Finance and Planning: David Coore, QC

3. Industry and Commerce: Vivian Blake, QC

4. Foreign Affairs: P.J. Patterson.

5. Public Utilities and Transport: Horace Clarke.

6. Mining: Dudley Thompson, QC

7. Housing: Anthony Spaulding

8. Education: Eric Bell

9. Local Government: Ralph Brown

10. Youth and Sports: Hugh Small

11. Labour: William Isaacs

12. Health: Dr Douglas Manley

13. Agriculture: A.U. Belinfanti

14. Social Security: Winston Jones

15. National Mobilisation: Dr D.K. Duncan

16. Works: Ernest Peart

17. Justice: Carl Rattray

18. National Security: Keble Munn

19. Public Service: Howard Cooke

20. Parliamentary Affairs: Dr Kenneth McNeill

There was an attorney general who was not a member of the Cabinet but was authorised to attend all meetings. In addition, there were 10 ministers of state and 10 parliamentary secretaries, including four from the Senate. In fact, out of 60 members of the House of Representatives, there were some 36 ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries. At the announcement, Mr Manley said it was a large team because of "... the wide range of political duties involved."

Sometime after that, the Government declared that the Constitution was too rigid, in that it did not permit the appointment of persons with ministerial rank who do not automatically become members of the Cabinet. A bill was tabled in Parliament to allow the prime minister to determine both the number of persons who may be appointed ministers and the number of those ministers that would, from time to time, be required to attend Cabinet.

It seems the PNP are the real champions at 'Cabinet making' and shuffling.

Ken Jones is a veteran media practitioner@gleanerjm.com. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

k.d. knight

p.j. patterson

michael manley