Skeng, in case you missed it...

[Exile]

Blatant inconsistency? I agree about the vigilance...some Jamaican politicians get away with murder...literally....yet hardly a peep.

[Islandman]

In the end if the govt performs the size of the cabinet will not be an issue, but it is the blatant inconsistency that needed to be pointed out.

This is how you keep politicians on their toes and let them know they are being watched closely. The best thing that can happen for Jamaican politics is for the people to be vigilant regardless of who is in power.

[Exile]

Last year Bruce could do no wrong...Driva etc. now he's a charlatan, disowned even by his own people...that's the nature of politics...a day is a long time....in politics...8 months?...

[Exile]

Not supporting 'big' government (sounds so...Republican)...but how much bigger is it than the last Gov? One? Two? What about all the many paid Consultants and Special Advisors before....do they count in the final tally?

[Assasin]

Well that was simply what it was, now it is also politics as others will take cheap shot at her for going back on her words and it is not 4 years ago it was 8 months ago.

[Islandman]

If one of your first government decisions goes against what you said you would do as recently as last year, then YES you should be asked to explain why.

Maybe she changed her mind, that is not unreasonable. But then you need to say that.

[Exile]

You doubt it was political points? It's all politics.

[Assasin]

the question is was it what the previous government needed as well?
Why not give them the benefit of the doubt too. I won't complain of the size because any size need for growth is what it is but it is very hypocritical or Portia was just scoring political points.

[Exile]

So less than a week after swearing in the PNP Gov must account for a position they took 4 years ago? When will the JLP Opposition stop accounting to the Jamaican people for what they did in the 4 yrs of Gov despite promises? We could go on and on and on.....What would the TT government do....they'd be explaining everyday...and nothing would be done?

[Baddaz]

Part of accountability should be to explain why such a change in position was taken...what has changed since the pronouncement was made?

i support the accountability concept... however, i am not certain if this warrants any extensive explanation other than it is what the govt deem necessary to effectively meet the challenges...

[Peter R]

I agree in principle with what you're saying, but the "problem" is that when in opposition many times a crticism is made of the party in power for no good reason than to simply "oppose".

Part of accountability should be to explain why such a change in position was taken...what has changed since the pronouncement was made?

[Baddaz]

willi, the reality of the challenges may require this size cabinet... i don't know... i would guess neither do you nor anyone else not close to the situation...

if the pm and her team thinks this is what is needed at this time, despite what she might have said previously, i think we should give her the opportunity to do her work... i think it is counter-productive and serves no useful purpose to start critique because of what she might have said while in the opposition... she wasn't the govt and i am certain, she did not know the motives for the previous govt cabinet size... she may decide later to shrink or expand the cabinet... we can only watch...

[Willi]

After naming her 18-member shadow Cabinet in May last year, Simpson Miller said if she were in government, the number would not be that high.

"I did not announce an 18-member Cabinet. I'm not the Government," she said when asked if that would be the size of her Cabinet.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/lead1.html