'Political considerations' guided reshuffle - Vaz

INFORMATION MINISTER Daryl Vaz on Wednesday indicated that the increase in the size of the Cabinet may have been influenced by "political considerations".

Vaz, who made it clear he was giving his personal view, said there would have been "a different shape to the Cabinet" if Prime Minister Bruce Golding had greater flexibility in the Parliament.

"You know that we are strung by the cards that we are dealt and, therefore, he has to play the hand that he is dealt," said Vaz.

"In everything in governance, there is a political consideration, and when you are working with numbers as tight and as close as we have in Parliament, there are a number of decisions that have political sensitivities and anybody who denies that is not being true to themselves," he added.

Campaign promise

His comments came as he fielded questions about the perceived missed opportunity by Golding to stick to a key campaign promise to trim the size of the Government and the Cabinet.

It is a promise he has repeated several times since taking office.

In a September 2009 address to Parliament in which he agreed with a call from the Opposition for a reduction in the size of the Government, Golding said: "In reducing the size of the Government, the Cabinet and the number of ministries will also be dealt with."

Turning to what has been regarded as the promotion of Dr Christopher Tufton, Vaz pointed to the "great strides" Tufton made during his tenure at the Ministry of Agriculture.

"The feeling is that there is need for great strides to be made in investment, based on where we are with the economy," he asserted.

"And, therefore, I think the prime minister has looked to see what changes will be most effective and minister Tufton will do as good a job, if not better, in his new ministerial portfolio," Vaz said.

He described Tufton's successor, Robert Montague as a fast learner and said his job will be made easier because of the policies implemented by Dr Tufton.

"I think minister Montague will continue the successes of the Ministry of Agriculture," Vaz said.

Asked if he expected a bigger role, the information minister said he was not "hung up" on where or in what capacity he is asked to serve.

"Obviously, everybody wants to go up the ladder, but there is a time for everyone," he said.