EDITORIAL - Top-heavy executive

Few other things are worthy about the political executive unveiled by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller last Friday, including the appointment of some bright, new talent to the second tier of administration.

But more broadly, Mrs Simpson Miller missed an opportunity to fashion a tight, focused and coherent government, in keeping with several recommendations in myriad reports over many years. She has also failed to adhere to her criticisms of the previous administration's Cabinet. She has, instead, fallen back into that old Jamaican habit of rewarding loyalty and longevity over competence and skill.

In the process, she delivered an executive that is top-heavy and unbalanced, and is likely to be at risk, constantly, of tripping over itself. For instance, with 42 members of the 63-person House of Representatives, Mrs Simpson Miller's People's National Party (PNP) will have a big majority in Parliament. But 59.5 per cent (25) of the PNP's MPs (not counting three ministers from the Senate) have been given jobs in the executive. Reduced numbers on the backbenches weaken their ability to act as the conscience of the ruling party and Government.

But that there is a 28-member executive is not the most egregious failure of the prime minister in framing her administration. Much of her allocation and alignment of talent appears wanton.

competitive advantage

If it was not arbitrary concession to gender quotas, it defies rationality and logic that Sandrea Falconer and Natalie Neita-Headley, ministers without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, should have found themselves anywhere near the Cabinet, much more in it as full members. Lisa Hanna is left underworked with the portfolios of youth and culture.

Additionally, in the current environment where Jamaica must struggle for competitive advantage, sharp managerial skills and cutting-edge grasp of global markets and policies are critical to domestic advancement, we are disappointed, if not surprised, at the recycling of Roger Clarke and Robert Pickersgill to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, respectively. It's not too much to hope that they will soon make way for other talent.

Derrick Kellier's appointment to labour suggests a failure to appreciate it is not a soft ministry, but a key economic one.

Mark Golding's background in investment banking might have made him a better fit in the core of the key economic ministries, perhaps in charge of investment. But perhaps his technocratic approach will help in sorting out the mess that has long enveloped Jamaica's justice system.

Dr Morais Guy, as a full minister in the transport, works and housing ministry with portfolio minister Dr Omar Davies, but with the addition of Richard Azan, seems, at best, gratuitous. Hopefully, Dr Davies will not interpret that appointment as designed to give him time to dabble in Dr Peter Phillips' finance portfolio, which he held in the last PNP government.

At the second tier, we are heartened by the appointment of Julian Robinson as a junior minister in the mining, energy and information communication technology ministry, where his background in investment promotion, his intelligence and calm maturity should complement Phillip Paulwell's frenetic, go-getting approach, which can stress the process of accountability.