What are Eamon Courtenay’s Cabinet Privileges?

Eamon Courtenay

Senator Eamon Courtenay, as we’ve reported, has returned to private practice as an attorney at his law firm, Courtenay Coye LLP.  He also remains the Leader of Government Business in the upper house.  His privileges in Cabinet, however, remain unclear.  While he was not present at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, there are many questions surrounding the new configuration, following his resignation from government.  We asked Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia to explain the new arrangement, since persons in private life do not get to enjoy the rights and advantages of being in Cabinet.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Cabinet Minister

“I can’t speak to it in any detail, but you do know that with then Minister Courtenay, now ambassador and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, he remains at the center of things within the government, you know.  I can’t speak in the detail to the, quote-on-quote, cabinet privileges but we will certainly be leaning on his experience.  I think that Minister Francis [Fonseca] brings, again, a wealth of experience and competence to the table and that basically is as far as I can go.  But I would wish to assure the public, if I may, speaking for myself now, that there is no lack of trust, there is no lack of confidence.  There hasn’t been any erosion in terms of the role that then Minister Courtenay now plays because, as a private attorney, or let me put it this way, as a government minister, one cannot also be a private attorney and go to court.  So that is the aspect that I would prefer to look at, as opposed to the grey area of the cabinet privileges.  He wasn’t in cabinet yesterday, but if we need his expertise, I am sure, please, and ah noh di try put on di cap ah di prime minister, but I am sure that the prime minister would seek that assistance and we, I believe, have the confidence in, let’s call him Ambassador Courtenay now.”