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Alf: ‘You Can’t Really Win’ After Phone-Sacking Ministers

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6 months ago

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Ever been broken up with via a phone call? It’s not nice, is it.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan has defended his decision to sack the Department of Infrastructure and Treasury Minister over the phone, saying: ‘You can’t really win in these situations.’

Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood said she was shocked to receive a WhatsApp call from the Chief Minister shortly before 8am yesterday informing her of the reshuffle.

‘In a brief WhatsApp call, the Chief Minister informed me that he had made the decision that I was ‘stepping down’, she said.
‘It became apparent during Monday morning that the Chief Minister had spoken to some members over the weekend, and had even called Mr Glover on Monday morning to tell him that I was resigning before he told me.
‘I consider this discourtesy to be typical of the Chief Ministers tenure. Not to inform me before he had told other backbenchers was poor form.
‘I regard my sacking by telephone call, and not face to face as a mark of the quality, or rather lack thereof, of the current Chief Minister.
‘Whether driven by his cowardice or desire to catch the 8am news headlines, or maybe a blend of both, I consider his poor behaviour to be shocking, though not unsurprising.’

In Tynwald today, Tim Glover MHK questioned Mr Cannan over the approach.

He recalled phoning the Chief Minister to confirm details and checking on Dr Allinson and Dr Haywood, only to learn they had essentially been sacked via a phone call. ‘Does the Chief Minister say that was an act of leadership or the act of a coward?’ he asked.

Mr Cannan responded by saying the decisions were complex and had to happen quickly. ‘It’s ironic, isn’t it, coming from that Honourable member, he asks for communication… In a very rushed day, I did what I promised I would try and do, was to communicate with him where at all possible,’ he said.

‘The pace and timing of these decisions are not easy, but they have to happen.

‘I am sorry they have to happen quickly and immediately, but there are very good reasons for that.

‘The former ministers were given the information in the phone call, received the letter, and the day proceeded as necessary to maintain the ongoing work of government.’

 

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