On Monday at Government House I was proud to welcome two new Ministers to the Cabinet. Minister of Tourism, Vance Campbell and Minister of National Security Michael Weeks.
And, yesterday Cabinet colleagues and I welcomed them into our first meeting of the reconfigured Cabinet
which we have just completed, progressing our work on behalf of the people that were elected to serve.
I am grateful to have the media present today as we introduce the new Ministers to the press and allow them to answer any questions that members of the media may have on their new responsibilities.
Ministers Campbell and Weeks have served their constituents, the Government and the people of
Bermuda devotedly from the backbench and will now bring that same devotion to their ministerial portfolios and to the Cabinet table. They, like myself and the rest of the Cabinet, are focused and committed on delivering the change that we promised to bring on behalf of the people of Bermuda who put their trust in the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party at the last election.
The Cabinet cannot and will not be distracted by rumours, innuendo or sensational headlines. Our time
and our energy have and will remain concentrated on bringing the people-centred economic recovery
and social renewal that Bermuda and Bermudians need and deserve. Minister Campbell brings an abundance of private and public sector experience to his role as Minister of Tourism in addition to a long record of public and community service.
His experience and knowledge will be crucial as we rebuild our tourism industry with Bermudians at the
centre of all that we do. His immediate near term goals will be to ensure that this year’s tourism season
is a success while advancing changes to the Tourism Investment Act to bring new hotel investment to our shores.
Minister Weeks brings strong, grassroots community leadership and over 20 years of residential treatment services experience to his role as the Minister of National Security. As we tackle the increase of violence in our community, his leadership, experience and the work he has done throughout his
career within our communities will be an asset to the Government and to the country I am grateful that he is able to serve in this Ministry full time, and I know that he will be focused on ensuring that we redouble our efforts on tackling the root causes of violence.
In addition to Ministers Campbell and Weeks joining the Cabinet, I would also like to announce the following changes to the alignment of Ministries:
➢ The eCommerce portfolio will move from being under the remit of the Premier to the Minister
of Economy and Labour. The Information & Digital Technologies portfolio and Department of
the same name will be moved from under the remit of the Premier to the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
➢ The liquor license portfolio will move from the Attorney General to the Minister of National Security.
➢ And finally, the Consumer Affairs portfolio will move from the Minister of Home Affairs to the Attorney General.
I can also inform the country that the cost of the Cabinet as it has been reconfigured is less than the cost
of the Cabinet at the beginning of this year given that I will continue as Premier and Minister of Finance.
As I close I would like to again thank the former Minister of National Security, MP Renee Ming for her dedicated service and I look forward to continuing to work with her as she moves to the backbench and remains the strong voice that she has always been for the people of St. George’s.
I welcome Ministers Campbell and Weeks and look forward to their contributions as we:
➢ focus on economic recovery and growth
➢ reduce the cost of living
➢ Getting people back to work
➢ ensure our seniors live in dignity; and
➢ Continue to tackle the root causes of crime And that we work to ensure that our young people have hope for a future in the island that they call
home.
I am confident that this Cabinet and this Government will deliver for Bermuda, and I myself and my the
new Minsters look forward to your questions this afternoon.
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