Territorial At Large Representative Honourable Carvin Malone has revealed that it was his perceived close relationship with former Premier Andrew Fahie that made him ineligible to sit in the Cabinet of the National Unity Government.
While making a guest appearance on a recent edition of “Talking Points”, Malone offered his insight on the processes and discussions which took place following Fahie’s arrest and the release of the Commission of Inquiry Report, which ultimately led to the formation of the incumbent Cabinet and his transition to the Opposition.
“I can now say because I’ve said it before, they proposed that as opposed to suspending the Constitution we can form a unity government. They proposed this to the leadership… So the Opposition demanded 3 seats out of the 5 cabinet seats, one for each head of the particular parties and this means that one seat was clearly opened because education would move up to premier… It meant that they needed 2 more seats”, he explained.
Malone said in the process of selection, Opposition Leader Julian Fraser and former Minister Vincent Wheatley were both deemed ineligible to serve on the Cabinet because of them being named in the COI report. While in his case, it was his relationship with the ousted premier.
“They said the reason Honourable Fraser couldn’t come was because he was named in the report so no one that’s named in the report should be in Cabinet so he chose to stay in the Opposition as opposed to coming over like Honourable Vanterpool. Then, Honourable Wheatley was told – well you’re named in the report for some land deal so you’re not best to come into the particular Cabinet… For Honourable Malone… Well, what sin have I? … Too close to Honourable Fahie”, he said.
Malone said that at the time he accepted the decision to be excluded from the Cabinet in the best interest of the territory.
“I said well, I will not allow my name to be used as a name for why we had our Constitution suspended so you can go ahead. I will sit back – if that is what will save the country from having its Constitution suspended”, he said.
Malone also shed some light on why officials proceeded so quickly to form a new government, rather than transferring power to the Deputy Premier as is typically done in the absence of the Premier.
This he said was a result of the move being “Pre-set from January… When this commission of inquiry was done”.