With the prorogation of Parliament comes not only a chance for the Davis administration to reset and realign its course with its promises laid out in the Progressive Liberal Party's "Blueprint for Change", but it is also a chance to reassess and reassign Cabinet responsibilities.
Cabinet ministers are entrusted with important roles that affect the well-being of the nation and its citizens.
They play a critical role in the functioning of a government by providing a framework for decision-making, policy formulation, and effective administration.
If ministers are perceived, or are in effect, lacking, it could erode public confidence in the government's ability to make sound decisions and serve the people's interests.
Ministers, whether qualified or not, are leaders in their respective fields by virtue of their positions, and their actions and behavior set an example for others.
The Davis administration has had some successes in its nearly two years in office that displayed sound thinking and a sensible approach to collaborative decision making.
Its governance in guiding the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic was far from perfect but commendable.
Being guided by evidence rather than the whim of the competent authority when figuring out the best way to protect lives and livelihoods was a refreshing change.
Prime Minister Philip Davis and Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville deserve credit for their effectiveness and demeanor in that regard.
Be it by design, fate or some combination of the two, tourism is roaring and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper is one of the more popular ministers in the country.
He made a major misstep with the announcement of the sale of the Grand Lucayan resort, but if he could effectively transform the airport infrastructure and address the deplorable state of Downtown Nassau, his brand would rise even further.
Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin should be commended for her passion in seeking to reopen schools for in-person learning and addressing the detrimental issue of pandemic learning loss.
Minister of State for the Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle has also done well in addressing labor issues in that sector.
Attorney General Ryan Pinder, whose brusque comportment can often come off as rude, leaves little doubt that he has the capacity and knowledge to be the country's top legal officer.
Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, who can be indelicate in his commentary, has seen crime go down under his tenure, not to say that it is not still shockingly high, including a high murder rate and a high level of sexual crimes, particularly on New Providence.
Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles LaRoda has also stood out with his handling of the National Insurance Board, but we will state that the Disaster Reconstruction Authority has not performed well under his oversight.
It might be a good idea to make him a full minister charged with overseeing the national social security fund.
The Davis administration has also had some notable failures where ministers have proven ineffective and not fit for the task.
Our position on Minister of Immigration Keith Bell has been made crystal clear, but we will reiterate it: Prime Minister Davis should remove him.
He has demonstrated a recklessness that the country can ill-afford in such a critical position.
He has also clearly lost the confidence of senior leadership in the Department of Immigration.
We believe he can no longer be effective in that position and retaining him sends the wrong message to other ministers.
Minister of Works Alfred Sears has, to our surprise, disappointed.
It is doubtful that the results promised by this administration will come to fruition if Sears remains in that position.
The prime minister should find something else for him to do.
To this day, we see no benefit by having appointed Minister for the Environment Vaughn Miller, or his subordinate, Basil McIntosh.
As for the prime minister, he has shown himself to not be as attentive as he should regarding the running of the Ministry of Finance, with the financial secretary clearly formulating major policy that should be the work of policymakers and not bureaucrats.
He must spend more time in that ministry to both help those who are in need and protect those who drive the economy.
When explaining the selection of the largest Cabinet in the country's history, he cited the "enormity of the task at hand".
With a new legislative agenda coming in October, it is legitimate to wonder if such a large Cabinet is still necessary given the underperformance of a number of ministers.
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