PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (WiredJA)- In a decisive first move as Trinidad and Tobago’s new Prime Minister, Stuart Young orchestrated a sweeping Cabinet reorganisation on Monday, retaining key figures while making strategic changes he characterized as the “first signalling of a new chapter” for the nation.
Hours after being sworn in alongside Attorney General Camille Robinson-Regis to form the basic core of his Cabinet, Young oversaw the appointment of 27 additional ministers at President’s House in St. Ann’s, where President Christine Kangaloo administered the oaths of office.
The reshuffling featured several notable changes: Marvin Gonzales, the former public utilities minister, stepped into the critical National Security portfolio, replacing Fitzgerald Hinds who was reassigned to the Office of the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, career diplomat and former permanent secretary Vishnu Dhanpaul took the reins of the Finance Ministry from veteran Colm Imbert, who shifted to Public Utilities.
“It is a new chapter. What you are going to see is a lot of different things happening, built on a solid platform,” Young told reporters after the ceremony, defending his choices as “very carefully thought-out” rather than election gimmickry as opposition members had suggested.
In a move raising eyebrows across political circles, Young opted to retain his energy portfolio alongside his prime ministerial duties, citing the critical nature of ongoing negotiations in the geopolitical arena.
“The amount of work that has gone into it and, in particular, the specific emphasis when you are dealing with geopolitics right now and where TT falls in that with respect to our Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries – what we have been able to achieve and what we have got done – but also some of the things that need a bit of focus and emphasis,” Young explained.
He emphasised the relationship-specific nature of the energy portfolio, noting his established connections with decision-makers in boardrooms across multiple countries. “I am the one who has worked it through. I am the one who for the last few years has managed to pull a lot of threads together,” Young said, suggesting a transition at this juncture would be imprudent.
The shifting of Imbert, Trinidad and Tobago’s longest-serving finance minister, garnered particular attention. Young was quick to dismiss speculation that the move was connected to Imbert’s recent clash with Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass, instead framing it as part of a strategic vision.
“I thank him for his service. He has done a good job. He provided a lot of stability,” Young said of Imbert. “Our economy is a stable platform right now, but at this stage – based on some things that I intend to do in the not-too-distant future – I needed him in a different portfolio.”
Young praised Dhanpaul’s appointment to Finance, noting his previous experience as permanent secretary would allow him to “literally hit the ground running” at a time when “the timing is right.”
The Cabinet reorganisation also saw Adrian Leonce elevated to Housing Minister, replacing Robinson-Regis with whom he had previously worked closely as junior minister. Meanwhile, Minister of Digital Transformation Hassel Bacchus retained his portfolio while gaining an additional role as junior minister in the finance ministry, alongside Brian Manning.
When questioned about Hinds’ new position at the OPM, Young described the office as “the nucleus of government,” explaining that such posts exist for ministers to be “deployed on specific missions,” similar to arrangements in Jamaica. Young added that he has “certain strengths I want to deploy with respect to Minister Hinds a little closer to me.”
Young was emphatic that the changes did not constitute demotions, noting that in PNM governments, one doesn’t “see shifts in portfolios every Monday morning unlike other governments.” He even pointed to his own experience: “In previous cabinets, I think I was one of the most reshuffled ministers in the last ten years.”
On the pressing issues of crime and the economy, Young suggested fresh perspectives were valuable: “It is always good to give a fresh perspective and allow some fresh people to take a look at it and to drive it now.”
