Winston Connolly and Roy McTaggart, the two Coalition for Cayman (C4C) Members of the Legislative Assembly who are serving as part of the Progressives government, will be sworn in as Councillors (temporary ministers) this Tuesday, 20 August as temporary ministers.

In accordance with the constitution, Connolly, who is currently the councillor in the education ministry, will stand in for Tara Rivers for two weeks, while Roy McTaggart), the councillor to both the finance minister and minster for financial services, will step in for Marco Archer, the minister responsible for Finance and Economic Development while he takes a ten day break.

This is the first time that temporary Ministers are being appointed in accordance with section 53(2) of the Constitution.  In the past, another Minister was assigned the responsibility of performing his/her Cabinet colleague’s functions while they were on leave or ill.

“Since November of 2009, our modernised Constitution has allowed for the appointment of temporary ministers, although the provision has never been utilised before,” said Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin.

“Ministers are extremely busy with the responsibilities of their respective ministries and it is difficult for them to take on additional responsibilities when their colleagues are on leave or ill. It is only logical that councillors are appointed as temporary ministers on these occasions,” he said. “I am privileged to lead an extraordinarily capable team and in keeping with my determination to have an inclusive government, to utilise the abilities of all members of the team in the best interest of the country.”

This is the first time this section of the Constitution has been invoked.  There was no comparative provision in the 1972 Constitution.