Cabinet Changes: Darrell In, Peets & Scott Out
[Updated] Lawrence Scott and Dr Ernest Peets will no longer serve in Cabinet, and Senator Owen Darrell will be the Minister of Youth, Culture & Sports, the Premier announced at a swearing in ceremony held today [Oct 27] at Government House.
Update: We will update with the full speech as able, and in the meantime a brief summary of the changes:
- Lawrence Scott [previously the Minister of Transportation] will no longer serve in Cabinet
- Dr Ernest Peets [previously the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports] will no longer serve in Cabinet
- Senator Owen Darrell will enter the Cabinet as Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, and become the Government Leader in the Senate [previously held by Dr Peets]
- Wayne Furbert [previously the Minister for the Cabinet Office] will take on Transport
- Vance Campbell [previously the Minister of Tourism] will “add to his duties, responsibility for those Departments previously under the Ministry for the Cabinet Office.”
- The size of Cabinet decreases from 13 to 12
Update 4.00pm: Premier David Burt’s remarks:
Good morning, Your Excellency, Cabinet and parliamentary colleagues, members of the media, ladies, and gentlemen.
Just over a week from now we will start a new legislative year. The Government will set out the agenda for the new parliamentary session and it will reflect the priorities that Bermudians have shared with us as this Government continues to listen to desires of Bermudians. Addressing the cost of living, providing access to affordable housing, combatting community violence, and safeguarding the environment are some of the key areas on which the people of Bermuda have demanded that we focus.
As I have consistently stated, the Government is committed to leading the economic recovery required to help us emerge from the effects of the pandemic and the challenge of increased global inflation, while reducing the burden of taxation on the working class.
To accomplish these goals requires strong leadership to deliver on the promises made to the people we serve and whose mandate is one for change and fairness in this community.
Earlier today I asked Her Excellency the Governor to alter the responsibilities of Ministers of the Cabinet. As a result of those changes, MP Lawrence Scott and Senator Dr. Ernest Peets will continue serving the Government from outside of the Cabinet.
Over the past two years both Ministers who will no longer sit in Cabinet have set about their work in a dignified fashion. Last year MP Scott made homeporting in Bermuda a reality providing a much needed boost when regular cruise calls had not restarted – his efforts will also see Bermuda have a record number of cruise calls next year. Senator Peets has delivered Parish Council Modernisation, Bermuda’s National Sports Policy, National Cultural Heritage Policy and National Youth Policy.
I wish to thank them both for their service in Cabinet and for the way in which they set about discharging the duties of the offices they held and also for their personal support of me during last week’s leadership contest.
I am also pleased to welcome Senator Owen Darrell to the Cabinet where he will serve as Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport and also assume the role of Government leader in the Senate.
Senator Darrell holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Science and Secondary Education from the University of Tampa and taught in Bermuda’s public school system for 15 years.
Minister Darrell has worked hard as Chief of Staff to the Premier for the last five years, and though some will consider this change to a somewhat lesser role, Minister Darrell has signaled to me that he’s up for a new challenge. With a strong educational background and with extensive work with the youth of Bermuda during his time advising Bermuda’s Youth Parliament, he is ideally suited to this Ministry. I have no doubt that he will bring his talents to bear in the mission to preserve & celebrate Bermuda’s culture, promote awareness of our history and cultivate local sporting talent to greater arenas of success.
The changes made today also reduce the size of the Cabinet from 13 to 12 as I have asked Minister Wayne Furbert to assume responsibility for Transport and Minister of Tourism Vance Campbell to add to his duties the responsibility for those departments previously under the Ministry for the Cabinet Office.
In the last few days, I have met with Cabinet Ministers and MPs from my party to discuss the hard work that lies ahead. Their commitment and energy was evident and I can only thank them for their desire to serve in these difficult times. This Government will work together to fulfill the pledges set out in our Platform and continue to meet the challenges presented by the unprecedented global events of the last two and a half years.
Thank you.
” … as this Government continues to listen to the desires of Bermudians all across this country …”
Unabashedly NOT listening to non-Bermudians, be they foreign spouses of Bermudians or PRC holders or just ex pats creating jobs and wealth in Bermuda
Clueless out …..clueless in
The pied piper will dismiss anyone who tries to become a threat ..scott said he was proposing WRoban then retracted …nope your gone …its mind blogging how flip flop keeps getting promoted must have long covid ..sense of smell is gone
So any coincidence that Lawrence Scott is fired following Alex Scott’s comment about Burt being less authoritative? Optics indicate quite the opposite.
Alex does not go to Central Committe or caucus so how would he know Burt was authoritative. I agree. Lawrence was doing a good job until he held a press conference knowing press was not present and asked for questions. How dumb can you be. No. Dr Peets was a good Minister of Culture and Sports and head of the Senate. He probably ….. say the people in the street supported Dickinson. He was a novice to politics and given a great deal with no political experience and rather than be thanked he is spanked.
Doing a good job with less flights into Bermuda! Let’s not even talk about the bus cancelations.
Dr. Peets was the best Minister of Culture! He most likely supported Curtis Dickinson who would be the best man for the job of Premier.
He was unable to increase flights to Bermuda as we HAVE NO FLIGHTS FROM BOSTON AT ALL.
The ferries and buses has schedule issues ect due to workers being disatisfied.
He never got anything done except talk a good talk
“Wayne Furbert [previously the Minister for the Cabinet Office] will take on Transport”
Wayne has come full circle. Wayne Furbert was Minister of Transport in the 1990s when he was a member of the UBP.
Yep and he allowed cars to tint all their windows and didn’t see anything wrong with that!
Great appointment!
Owen is well suited to this role.
Flip flop furbert,lol im sure kim swan will be minister of finance next!
Now we know who didn’t vote for him . New minister Owen is 100% a boot licker!
Family circus.
Enjoy.
The fan is on low now.
I’m scared.
This Gov is a absolute joke
Scott embarrasses himself every time he speaks with that ‘deer in the headlights’ look about him. I thought Peets was doing a good job but, as others have suggested, Blurt probably discovered he was a Dickinson fan.
Another useless numpty. Got the job because he is Burt’s buddy.
The Transport Minister was benched because he was to green, I mean Green initiatives. The Bus cancellations the afternoons and evenings have been approaching 50. With many less busses on the road to be charged or dieseled , that is less of a carbon footprint. Same with our pristine roads. With less machinery on the road to tinker with hot asfault we are sending much less heat and exhaust into the Stratusphere! Bravo on the GREEN INITIATIVES!!! There is a good reason and silver- lining behind every Government Decision. Whoever else is fired, means they have mastered their Ministry. Their service is no longer needed. We are just saving bundles of taxpayer money!!!
Delegate conference over. Back to normal nuffin
Started paving in Harrington sound.. stopped
Buttcoin back to lowering yes he’s trying to lower bermuda then he already has