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List of Minister and Parliamentary Secretaries Sworn in Today
Mr. Austin Jack Warner — Minister of Works and Transport
Mr. Winston Dookeran — Minister of Finance
Brigadier John Sandy — Minister of National Security
Ms. Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan — Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs
Dr. Surujattan Ranbachan — Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam — Minister of Public Administration
Mr. Fazal Karim — Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education
Ms. Therese Baptiste-Cornelis — Minister of Health
Mr. Emmanuel George — Ministry of Public Utilities
Mr. Vasant Bharath — Minister of Food Production
Ms. Mary King — Minister of Planning, Economics and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs
Mr. Chandresh Sharma — Minister of Local Government
Dr. Roodal Moonilal — Minister of Housing and the Environment
Mr. Stephen Cadiz — Minister of Trade and Industry
Dr. Rupert Griffith — Minister of tourism
Mr. Herbet Volney — Minister of Justice
Dr. Glen Ramadharsingh — Minister of the People and Social Development
Dr. Tim Gopeesingh — Minister of Education
Mr. Nizam Baksh — Minister of Community Development
Mr. Prakash Ramadhar — Minister of Legal Affairs
Mr. Errol Mc Leod — Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development
Mr. Anil Roberts — Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs
Ms. Vernella Alleyne Toppin — Minister of Tobago Development
Mr. Winston Peters — Minister of the Arts and Culture
Ministers in the Ministries
Mr. Rudranath Indarsingh — Ministry of Works and Transport
Mr. Clifton DeCoteau — Ministry of Education
Mr. Delmon Dexter Baker — Ministry of Tourism
Ministers of State
Mr. Colin Jefferson Partap — Office of the Prime Minister
Mr. Rodger Dominic Samuel — Office of the Prime Minister
Parliamentary Secretaries
Mr. Kevin Christian Ramnarine — Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs
Ms. Stacy Alana Roopnarine — Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs
Mr. Jairam Angad Seemungal — Ministry of Legal Affairs
Ms. Nela Khan — Ministry of the Arts and Culture
Ms. Ramona Ramdial — Ministry of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs
Address by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at swearing in ceremony of the Ministers of Government, Knowsley Building, Queen’s Park West, Port of Spain
May 28 2010
(Salutations)
Fellow citizens. As Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago it gives me great pleasure to present to you the members of the Cabinet of the People’s Partnership government.
These twenty four men and women are the leaders who will represent the interests of the people.
I wish to make this address to all of us gathered here as members of the Cabinet and let the nation witness the following watchwords of our governance.
May I say to each of you that each day, you are expected to dedicate all of your energies towards ensuring that the people’s needs are being addressed.
All of us are held accountable to the people. Ours is a monumental task but it is one which is equally rewarding because there can be no greater call than that of national service.
We must accept no mediocrity. Neither must we contribute to it in any way.
There must be no room for arrogance.
We must be faithful to a leadership style that is firm but humble, passionate and impatient for great achievements but ever conscious of the correct procedures.
We have to be ever mindful that the nation is looking at us expectantly. No one out there expects excuses, they want results. No one expects us to create miracles, but simply to work hard enough as though we know could produce them.
Lead by example. Follow by learning to listen.
All of this is as much my mantra as it is your own.
As of now, each of us is on trial. We begin to be tested as of this very moment. We carry a huge responsibility to get this nation back on track.
So we must discover how to turn obstacles into opportunities, discover new ways of solving old problems. Inspire others by our enthusiasm and positive outlook.
As members of the Cabinet of the People’s Partnership we are stewards of the nation’s future. What a legacy we can leave behind. What an incredible privilege and honour given to us to serve in this way. What a phenomenal opportunity to make such a contribution to country.
My caution is never to become aloof, never lose sight of the true purpose of the position you hold. Stay grounded. Keep connected to the people. Earn their respect by the way you serve them.
As Chief Servant Makandal Daaga would say, the people are the government. We are servants of the people. We work for the people. Diligently and entirely and always in their interest.
The talent and commitment of this group assembled here this afternoon cannot be denied. Sure, many of you are new to this but that means you bring fresh ideas and new perspectives. Government cannot be about doing the same things and expecting different results.
The days will be long and the nights sleepless but the rewards will come from knowing that we are improving the lives of others and creating the kind of nation of which we can all be proud.
One of the hallmarks of our government must be that we serve every citizen with the same dedication regardless of their political affiliation. And we must never display any kind of party symbol during the conduct of our work as the government of Trinidad and Tobago in or out of Parliament.
Transparency and accountability must be evident in all government matters. We must be exemplars of the society, returning sound, traditional values of ethics and morals back into government. Honesty must be one of the given qualifications of anyone who hopes to serve the people.
Harness the best of our nation’s human resources to give reality to the change so many voted for. Disregard which party any qualified individual comes from or what ethnic group or religion or anything else that defines them in any way other than their competency and genuine commitment to serve the people.
“The people are the government.” Please take these words and frame them on every desk of each of your Ministries and recommit to them every single day of each month you are privileged to be in service to the nation.
Thank you for coming forward in the way each of you has to contribute to the large task of rebuilding our great nation. I pledge to you all that I will be a leader who in turn listens and that my decisions will only be arrived at after collaboration and always in the interest of what best serves Trinidad and Tobago. There is no room for personal egos, no time for personal agendas, and no opportunity for self glorification. This is not about us, it is about the people. And they have the power to dismiss us anytime.
Congratulations to each of you. The entire nation now awaits your performance. And your job expectations actually began on Monday night so we have some catching up to do already so let me not delay you any further. God bless and guide us all as we embark upon this inspired journey of national service.
And may God bless our nation.
its wonderful all they have to work at it’s the need of the people and healing of T&T
I would like to wish our new Prime Minister and all other ministers the best of luck. I would also like to ask the people of the nation to remember that change cannot happen overnight and we must give the current administration sufficient time to put this country back together again. Together this partnership can and will work!!
WOW! Well done Madam Prime Minister! You have it covered.
good luck madam presedent and you are the presedent of the people of trindada not for the indian nor the black but for the people of tnt please bring back respect to tnt and stop the crime of tnt and i mus say good lock to an tnt serve us well ps good luck
I have never been more happy and proud of TnT ,,God bless the UNC
I just want to take this opportunity to wish Madam Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar all the best.She is the Chief Servant of the people of T&T.I pray that she will serve the people of beautiful T&T. I will be praying for her according to 1 Timothy 2:1-2.
Nice Dress that Kamla wore… I guess she is showing of her ‘true colours’.
But anyway, has anybody seen the Chief Servant, Makandal Daaga?
Congratulation to a well selected and deserving team, I have confidence in this team and I know that they will deliver what was promised. have patience T&T.
Very good TEAM, was however hoping that Dr Douglas would have been given the ministry of community development. All the best to our new government
Congraulation to all the appointed ministers,this is a new day, new ways,new ideas, Please let us all lift our heads once more and be proud of T&T. All races, all ages, have spoken by their votes. Please “be the change you wish to see in the world”. The hard work is ahead with unity and the strenght any thing is possible.To clean up all the mess will take time and all off T&T must work together and stop fighting.T&T please continue to support all the elected. May god continue to bless my beloved T&T.
I must congratulate the People Partnership on their choices to fulfill the various ministerial post to govern the people business for the next five years, and I would continue to have each and everyone in my prayers, for the continuance of God guidance, to make the correct choices, in lifting the country out of it present dilemma to prosperity where everyone would find and equal place, and our ills would be limited.
I MUST SAY CONGRATULATIONS, TO OUR NEW LEADER, MRS PERSAD-BISSESSAR., THANK GOD CHANGE HAS COME,AND I MUST CONGRATULATE MY PEOPLE, FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE,PROVING THAT TRINIS, WANT A TRUE AND JUST SOCIETY, WHERE TRULY EVERY CREED AND RACE FINDS AN EQUAL PLACE. WHAT A LOVELY CHANGE, THANK U MY PEOPLE, LET US NOW ALL THE PEOPLE OF IERE, FULLY SUPPORT OUR GOVERNMENT., GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE. THANK U AND MAY GOD BLESS THE REPUBLIC OF IERE.
I am happy for my newest lady pm.WE LOVE YOU.
Ministers support your Prime Minister. Doyour jobs diligently. Let these next five years be free of unwanted development and our country be an example to all worldwide. We have the resources lets use them.
We have risen, too bad Mr Bernie Campbell was not in attendance at the celebrations. That would have been especially gratifying, for him to be on hand to see how beautifully, his strategy has worked.
This is an exciting time for Trinidad and Tobago. It is however a bittersweet moment for me. Since Manning is no longer Prime Minister, I won’t have much to complain about anymore.
PM springs surprise in Health Ministry
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday sprung a major surprise in appointing a management consultant to head the troubled Health Ministry.
Kamla’s Cabinet
The new Cabinet announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is another large group of ministers to serve in what can be described as the conventional ministries with a few new portfolios added.
Off and running
As Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised, there were a few surprises at yesterday’s swearing-in of new ministers. Economist Mary King was an unexpected figure…
Kamla holds Cabinet meeting
Be servants of the people
No room for arrogance
Warn your Ministers, Madam PM
PM moves into ‘People’s House’
PRESIDENT GEORGE Maxwell-Richards has declined Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s invitation for him to take up residence at the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre at La Fantasie. As such the Prime Minister will move into the complex and rename it “the People’s House”, opening it to the general public.
A PALACE for the people
Kamla to open up PM’s residence to citizens, removes coat of arms from car
…staying temporarily in Pasea
Referendum a must
Dr Tim to tackle school violence
Sandy meets security heads for crime plan
Groups welcome Security Minister
Dookeran takes over Finance
New Tobago ministry raises eyebrows
Minister Jack to go over contracts
‘Traffic, floods first priority’
Traffic jams and flooding will be two of the pressing issues that Jack Warner, newly appointed Works and Transport Minister, will be tackling. Warner was sworn in as a Minister in Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Cabinet yesterday at a ceremony at Knowsley, Port of Spain.
‘Pink Panther’ endorses ‘Gypsy’
Kamla now Commonwealth Chair
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar with her appointment to the highest office in the land, now also holds the position of chairperson of the Commonwealth.
Senior attorneys react to Cabinet appointments
Lessons from the PNM defeat
In my view there are three major lessons, among others, to be learnt from the comprehensive PNM defeat in the 2010 General Elections. The first concerns the style of governance, the second the scope of the party’s appeal and third the relationship between the political party and the government from which it is derived.
Of mice, men, manicou and Manning
When swift, decisive action is required by an individual, the British way of determining whether you are up to it is to ask, ‘Are you man or mouse?’ The British, of course, do not know anything about the mice in Antigua where I live.
I wish the the prime minister all the best on the very hard
task ahead and also mr dookeran all the best in the finance .
I hope he get a better office than the one on the fourtheen
floor in the finance towers .
Congratulations to the New Lady Prime Minister…..
Thank you for elevating the status of all women ….We can make it happen….yes, our goal is towards a better way of life, working together to bring back to our Nation…Peace and Unity.
Where we all will find an equal place in this our beloved Country….
Be Blessed…….
Congratulations and Hats off to our first female Prime Minister.Good luck and best wishes with all that lies ahead.I am proud to be a citizen of this great nation.
Congratulations to the new government of all of Trinidad and Tobago.
Just a little correction-It’s Dr Surujrattan Rambachan…Minister of Foreign Affairs.
It has always been a pleasure to be a citizen of Trinidad & Tobago, but even more so with the formation of our new governance,inclusion and equality for all under the leadership of The Honourable Mrs Kamla Persad Bissessar. I must say her choice of Ministers is DEFINITELY a choice for the PEOPLE.
GOD BLESS THEM ALL.
I am a former PNM supporter… and this looks good… thats representative of Trinidad and Tobago. Lets hope everyone works to make tnt a better place. Always do your job keeping in mind the people that put you there….and the mantra should be ACCOUNTABILITY ACOUNTABILITY ACCOUNTABILITY(make no mistake about that) ….government off the people, by the people and for the people of both Trinidad and Tobago.
Bless.
I am a citizen of Trinidad & Tobago, living in the USA.
Just want to say congratulation. I will continue to pray for much success.
Praying that a real change will come to Trinidad where I can visit more often and feel comfortable to travel around and enjoy my land once more.
Peace and Love
best of luck to the new elected cabinet may God always guide you all on the straight path may he always protect u against evils of this world u have chosen a strong minister of security and the best minister of works and transport congratulations
respectfully
wahieda chadee
Definitely some surprises there, but we believe that the Peoples’ Partnership is sincere and dedicated to the well-being of the citizens of T&T. They are committed to providing good governance. We LOVE LOVE you PM Kamla and will continue to pray for you as you serve with integrity and honour. And we LOVE Dookeran!!!
Marsha & Jameela (Florida)
Thank you so much supporters for putting a/an caring, loving and independent prime minister to rule our country.I know Mrs. Bissesar will make a super great prime minister.GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!! Mrs. Bissesar
Congratulations…..hoping that our new P M would remember to look
into the Clico lost funds…So many retirees now still await their
payments……as we hold on to the forever promises with excuses from the Central Bank…..hoping that this one is also on the table
for investigation….
Thank you ….
Madam Kamla: The first time I saw you in person, you were riding on a Ministry of Education Float, in the Emancipation Day Parade of 2001, wearing African clothes. I thought that was wonderful. In the multiplicity of comments spewing forth after your historic victory, someone, probably some backward MAN spoke of your clothes and compared you to the Philipino president. My attitude to clothess is: Life is a party, dress up.Michele Obama, America’s First Lady understands that. I hope you invest in some beautiful saris- I am sure you already own many, some West African clothes- the next Emancipation Day may be a good time to go shopping, as you can get clothes designed to fit you exactly. Invest in a Meiling outfit, but not in white; as we know that is the Hindu colour of mourning, get one or two from the African woman who had made Trinidad designs a speciality, get an evening dress designed by one of our designers who do clothes for our Ms. Universe contestants. Buy a Cheong Sam or two.
You represent a multi-cultural country, and the best thing you can do for our young women is showcase how an educated, tasteful woman of our people, dresses. When it comes to the saris, though, I hope the chula would not be too short, beyond twenty-five, and after child bearing, or both, a woman’s torso squeezed into a tight fitting bodice is not pretty to look at. Our young women dress in imitation of Hollywood, Bolliwood and Niajawood, and could learn a lot about dressing to be multicural, but dressing with dignity and class. My only stipulation is this- the money you spend on clothes MUST be your own. Any gifts of clothes, now that you are PM, belong to the state. A PM CANNOT ACCEPT PERSONAL GIFTS FROM PEOPLE MET ON TRAVELS,EITHER WITHIN THE COUNTRY OR ABROAD. EVEN MR.nIXON ERRED IN THAT REGARD, AND TRIED TO KEEP A RARE CHINESE PLANT TO HIMSELF, BY NOT DECLARING IT TO CUSTOMS, IN ALASKA. OF COURSE THEY TOOK IT FROM HIM, NOT EVEN HE COULD BRING UNCHECKED SOIL INTO THE US. He was not above the law.
Go well(the Igbo greeting of blessing), and remember, people watch you clothes. We are not European, but a multiplicity of peoples. I got my first sari from a former teacher turned colleague, Mrs Ahilia Mohan. I will stay well.
In Trinidad this week,I witnessed the most amazing event since the initial independence of Trinidad and Tobago on August 31st, 1962. This time I observed a nation crossing the lines of Race and religion, ethnicity and social status and with great resolve marched to the desperate beat of freedom. They finally acknowledged that their leader had for too long taken them for granted, was now deaf to the cries of the oppressed, blind to the fists in the air and forgotten the fingers dipped in the ink of hope. They had become complacent; waiting too long, hoping that change will come without personal involvement, that whining and compaining will usher in desireable change. Others felt as long as they are warm, fed and fat, no one else really matters. Why else would a government pave roads, fix drains and hand out cash with tongue in cheek and a grin at election times if not to pacify the selfish. And we accept the obvious bribe with one hand while adjusting our blinders with the other. Let us never forget; we the people wield the power for change and we should never again wait till power corrupts. It will do us well to remember the famous quotation from Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Later William Pitt voiced a similar thought in a speech to the house of Lords in 1770: “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who pocess it; and this I know, my lords, that where laws end, tyranny begins.”
And with those thoughts I congratulate the people of Trinidad and Tobago on their choice of leaders; Kamla Persad Bissessar and her cabinet. I am excited for them and feel confident they will do all that is humanly possible to serve this nation. Madam Prime Minister, you are in our prayers.