Ozouf out for now as Gorst promotes women

Tuesday 04 November 2014

More women than ever will be on Chief Minister Ian Gorst’s new Council of Ministers, if States members accept his nominations when they vote later this week.

As predicted by Bailiwick Express last week, Senator Gorst has proposed three women on the new Council, with more than half the “cabinet” nominations going to newcomers and only External Relations Minister Philip Bailhache keeping his job.

There’s a temporary removal from the top table for Senator Philip Ozouf, who is set for a new role as an Assistant Minister for the finance and digital sectors – that job will become a full ministerial title at some point next year. At the same time a reshuffle of responsibilities could see sport and culture join the tourism portfolio in a redefined Economic Development department, and potentially utilities coming out of the Treasury umbrella and moving to Transport and Technical Services.

The full list of Chief Minister Gorst’s ministerial 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

States Members can contest the appointments, and Senator Zoe Cameron looks likely to go for Health; Deputy John Le Fondre will make a run for the Treasury job, and Deputy Montfort Tadier will make a pitch for Housing Minister.

But the challenge that looks closest will be the current Transport Minister, Kevin Lewis, who wants to hang on to his job despite Senator Gorst’s attempt to push him out.