Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/2263/-1/135/
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MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIOS, OTHER POSTS ANNOUNCED
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If all goes as planned by the Government, there will be two women in the Anguilla Houe of Assembly which is scheduled to meet in a general inaugural session on April 11 or 12. This is according to Chief Minister, Osboune Fleming.
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Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming
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He has already recommended to the Governor that former Special Assistant in the Chief Minister’s Office responsible for Tourism, Dona Banks, be appointed First Nominated Member. The other woman, not yet officially named, has been suggested as the Second Nominated Member. Her appointment is to be made solely at the discretion of the Governor after consultation with the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, as provided by the Anguilla Constitution.
Mr. Fleming noted that there had been many requests to have women recognised and placed in the political structure of the island. He pointed out that to that end the Government was ensuring that women were properly represented in the next House of Assembly.
Another matter relating to the functioning of the House of Assembly, is the Government’s proposed nomination of Mr. David Carty as Speaker.
Mr. Fleming made the announcements during a press briefing on Ministerial Portfolios following the return to office of the Anguilla United Front Government in the February 21 General Election.
“There are a few changes but not significant,” Mr. Fleming stated noting among other matters that responsibility for tourism had been transferred from the Chief Minister’s Office to the Ministry of Finance. He continued his announcing of the portfolios as follows: The Chief Minister’s Office is responsible for such departments as Immigration, Labour, Lands, Physical Planning, Environment, Human Rights and Gender Affairs and Information and Broadcasting. His subjects, which to some extent are repetitive, are: Coordination of Government Business, Immigration, Labour, Work Permits, The Environment, Information and Broadcasting, Gender Affairs, Human Rights, the Land Development Control Committee and Disaster Preparedness.
Minister Victor Banks is responsible for the subjects of Finance, Economic Development, Investments and Tourism. His departments are Finance, Treasury, Customs, Post Office, Registry of Commercial Activities, Social Security, Development Board, Anguilla Tourism Board, Statistics, Information Technology, Inland Revenue and Audit.
Newcomer to the Government, Minister Evan McNeil Rogers, is in charge of Social Development. His area of responsibility covers Community Development and Welfare, Education, the Health Authority of Anguilla, Environmental Health, Youth and Culture, the Sports Directorate and HM Prison.
Minister Kenneth Harrigan is responsible for Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries. (The last two subjects have been transferred from the Chief Minister’s Office.) His departments are Public Works, Airport, Water Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources.
Provision has been made for Mr. Albert Hughes who won his seat in District 7 (West End) as a candidate of the Anguilla Strategic Alternative (ANSA). He later joined the Government and has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries.
The Chief Minister also announced the appointment of former Minister of Social Development, Eric Reid, as Senior Adviser to the Government. “We feel that with Mr. Reid’s experience and stamina, Anguilla will be better off with him being around to give us guidance and support as we move the country forward in the next five years.
Special Assistants Mr. Fleming continued: “We propose to continue with the appointment of some Special Assistants to help the Ministers in their ministries. To that end, Ms. Rhona Richardson is appointed as Adviser to the Ministry of Education and Social Development. Mrs. Blondell Rodgiers will continue as Special Assistant in the Ministry of Social Development. Mr. Kenswick Richardson will continue as Special Assistant in the Ministry of Works, Communications, Housing and Water. Mr. Ashton Bradley will continue to work in the Ministry of Finance as Special Assistant. In addition, Ms. Donna Banks will continue to support and work as Adviser or Special Assistant to the Minister of Finance with responsibility for Tourism.”
The Chief Minister went on: “I want to make the point that these are not jobs for the ‘boys’. These are jobs that we believe need to be tackled…and where the Ministers will get the needed help to conduct and perform to their maximum.
“There are ongoing discussions with the possibility of appointing a few more Special Assistants, but I am not in a position to give a detailed description of that at this particular meeting.”
In another matter, there many be no appointment of Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly as required by the Constitution. Mr. Fleming stated that the Governor has indicated this to the Government.
It was expected that Mr. Edison Baird of the Anguilla Strategic Alternative would have been the Leader of the Opposition, his party having won two sweats. However, the situation appears to have changed with the defection of Mr. Albert Hughes to the Government. Mr. Baird and Mr. Hubert Hughes of the Anguilla United Movement are the only Opposition Members in the House and are from separate political parties.