Hinds to get Roberts’ former job?

As one minister’s resignation was accepted, a junior minister, Anthony Roberts, rose to Cabinet rank while a backbencher, Eudine Job-Davis, was brought in from the cold, and made Junior Minister in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs. Diane Seukeran, who was seen to have been demoted in the last Cabinet reshuffle, was reinstated as Minister in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Seukeran is MP for the marginal constituency of San Fernando West. Still on the outside is Fitzgerald Hinds, Laventille East/Morvant MP, but who the Prime Minister hinted would be brought into the Government. “My discussions with Mr Hinds are not yet complete. Discussions with Mr Hinds are ongoing,” PM Manning stated, at the swearing-in ceremony at the President’s House. He declined to say when these discussions would be completed. Sources speculated yesterday that Hinds would be appointed Minister in  the Ministry of National Security in charge of Rehabilitation, the position which Roberts held.

If this is done, the Prime Minister would have given every single one of his Parliamentarians, both elected and non-elected — with the exception of Achong — a stake in his  Government, a situation clearly designed to bring them in line and prevent defections, in the wake of Larry Achong’s traumatic separation from the Government. With his appointment as Labour Minister revoked,  Manning thanked the former minister for his contribution, saying that Achong remained a valued member of the PNM parliamentary team. He said it was up to Roberts now to decide in this “cloudy labour climate” whether he would work hands-on as a conciliator or whether he would allow the conciliators in the ministry to do this job.

Asked if he regretted what happened with Achong and whether he felt there is any way to prevent it, Manning said in politics as in life, one could never predict the actions of man. “Leaders in politics must understand that things happen, they happen suddenly, sometimes they happen without warning, but whatever it is, the leader has a responsibility to rectify whatever the difficulty is. And that is the way I approach my job... if a situation arises we address the situation as expeditiously.” Manning said he has made several unsuccessful attempts to speak with Achong since his resignation. He will continue to try to meet the Point Fortin MP.

At yesterday’s short function at the President’s House, only Job-Davis needed to be sworn in. Roberts who was already a Minister — Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security and Minister in the Minister of Housing — was given a new instrument as Minister of Labour, Small and Micro-Enterprise Development and Minister in the Ministry of Housing. Diane Seukeran who held the portfolio of Minister of State in the Minister of Social Development  and Gender Affairs, was given a new instrument as Minister of State in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Manning said the arrangement with her in Gender Affairs didn’t work as well as it should have. Eudine Job-Davis, who turned down a junior position in the Government last September, said she thought she would be able to make an impact in this ministry, especially since she would be learning from the very experienced Joan Yuille-Williams.