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Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 24, 2015 (SKNIS)—Nevis’ Premier, Honourable Vance Amory, has dismissed the notion that he and his Deputy Premier, Honourable Mark Brantley, who both are also ministers in the Federal Cabinet, are unable to perform their duties effectively.

A caller to the Team Unity Government’s weekly radio program “Working for You”on Wednesday raised the issue with Premier Amory who was the guest on the programme and questioned whether they were relinquishing their duties in Nevis because they were frequently in St. Kitts for federal government duties.

Mr. Amory said he has been involved in both the Federal Parliament and the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) for several years and he has never been under such scrutiny.

“I think some people would like it to appear that I am in St. Kitts continuously. That is not so; that is not so at all,” Premier Amory said. “I think if you look at the performances of both offices, we get the job done on both sides because as I said earlier we are both capable persons and in my case, I am dealing with very similar issues on both sides. Wherever I am, I am dealing with very similar issues on both sides. Wherever I am, I am dealing with labour; wherever I am, I am dealing with social security issues, wherever I am I am dealing with ecclesiastical issues.”

He acknowledged that the volume of work has increased, but that there is proof that he is performing his duties on both sides. Another caller to the programme moments later encouraged the premier to ignore suggestions that he is relinquishing his duties in Nevis as he is doing his job on both sides of the Federation.

“My thing is, if the other party did win…would the same callers dem have this issue today? They know from day one that you all running for that; how come nobody cried foul then?” the caller asked, while making an analogy between the operations of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and that of Trinidad and Tobago.

Premier Amory is the Nevis Minister of Finance, Statistics, Economic Planning, Education, Human Resources, Trade, Industry and Consumer Affairs. In the Federal Cabinet, he is responsible for Labour, Social Security, Nevis Affairs and Religious Affairs.

Deputy Premier, Hon. Mark Brantley on Nevis is the Minister of Tourism, Health, Gender and Social Affairs, Social Development, Youth, Sports, Community Development and Culture, Telecommunications and Information. On the Federal level, he is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Transport/Aviation.