Gorst turns to women and newcomers for ministerial picks

Friday 31 October 2014

The new Council of Ministers looks likely to have more women on it with Senator Ian Gorst’s list of nominees beginning to take shape after a week of secret trading and backroom deals.

And it looks as though it could be all change at the top – only two ministers, the Chief Minister himself and External Relations Minister Philip Bailhache look set to keep their jobs.

The rumoured list of candidates – unconfirmed at the moment – would put three women on the Council of Ministers if all the nominations are agreed. It would also mean that more than half of the council were newcomers, with six new faces proposed, and would see the longest-serving minister, Senator Philip Ozouf, removed from the Council of Ministers after holding a ministerial post since the government reforms of 2005.

But the Senator’s departure from the top table is likely to be a brief one. Senator Ozouf is said to have been lined up for a new position as an Assistant Chief Minister responsible for the financial services and digital industries that could become a full ministerial role later next year.

As an assistant minister, his appointment could not be challenged from the floor of the States Chamber, but the major ministerial posts could be.

It looks as though Deputy John Le Fondre will go for the Treasury role; that Deputy Pryke might try to hang on to the Health portfolio, which could also see a challenge from newcomer Senator Zoe Cameron; and that Deputy Kevin Lewis could try to hang on to his current job as Transport Minister despite the fact that the Chief Minister has pencilled in Deputy Noel as a replacement.

Senator Gorst could also take the opportunity to reshape the ministerial portfolios. There has been talk about shifting responsibility for sport and culture away from the Education department and to Economic Development, while responsibility for utilities could move from the Treasury to a revamped Transport and Technical Services department.

Senator Green is understood to have been approached to be Deputy Chief Minister – if he gets that job, he would fill in for Senator Gorst when he is out of the Island. 

The list of Chief Minister Gorst’s rumoured nominees is as follows:

Treasury Minister – Senator Alan Maclean.

Economic Development Minister – Senator Lyndon Farnham.

Education, Sport and Culture Minister – Deputy Rod Bryans.

External Relations Minister – Senator Sir Philip Bailhache.

Health and Social Services Minister – Senator Andrew Green.

Home Affairs Minister – Deputy Kristina Moore.

Housing Minister – Deputy Anne Pryke.

Planning Minister – Deputy Steve Luce.

Social Security Minister – Deputy Susie Pinel.

Transport and Technical Services Minister – Deputy Eddie Noel.