Premier pushes for more junior ministers in
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has called for an increase in the number of junior ministers in the Virgin Islands’ Cabinet, saying the change is necessary for more effecti...
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has called for an increase in the number of junior ministers in the Virgin Islands’ Cabinet, saying the change is necessary for more effective governance. Speaking during the wrap-up of the debate on the Constitutional Review Commission’s report, Dr Wheatley argued that the current limit of two junior ministers is inadequate for the workload carried by his administration.
He explained that the responsibilities of government are too broad for one premier and a small number of ministers to manage effectively. “I can count to you all of the different portfolios that I have. Agriculture, fisheries, immigration, customs, culture, tourism, financial services, shipping registry, labour.
If we want to be efficient and effective, the premier shouldn’t have one portfolio. The leader of the country should be managing his ministers and let the ministers go out there and do the work,” he said. The premier pointed to examples in the United Kingdom, where ministers operate under secretaries of state and manage their own sections. “Every minister under the foreign secretary is a junior minister.
The foreign secretary has a number of ministers reporting to the foreign secretary. All of them run their section,” Dr Wheatley explained. Currently, the BVI Constitution allows for only two junior ministers. In recent years, public debate has emerged over whether the role should be expanded, reduced, or even removed, with some critics saying the positions have not been used effectively.
But Premier Wheatley insisted the posts can ease the burden on senior ministers if used properly. “I wish I had another junior ministry,” he admitted. “Agriculture and fisheries needs its own junior ministry, and if I have a junior minister, I don’t need to be involved. That’s how it’s supposed to work.” He added that the title itself creates confusion and should be reviewed. “The only thing that I would say needs to be changed here is that we need more.
The reason why we need to change the name is because it contributes to the misunderstanding of the position,” he said. Dr Wheatley concluded that additional junior ministers would allow the government to delegate more work, empower talented backbenchers, and deliver more efficient governance.
Primary source: BVI News