Cabinet of New Ingrea
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This article is part of the series: Politics and government of New Ingrea |
The Cabinet is a major organ of the executive government of New Ingrea responsible for making important decisions in the administration of the government. All senior ministers of the government are members of the Cabinet, with the current cabinet consisting of sixteen members, each occupying a portfolio of responsibilities. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, and serves at his pleasure. Not all ministers are members of the Cabinet, with the junior Deputy Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries reporting directly to a Minister of State.
The Cabinet form of government can be traced back to Britain, and was inherited by New Ingrea when the settlement occurred in 1836. Like it's predecessors, the Cabinet meets privately once a week to discuss vital issues and formulate policy. Legally, the Cabinet has no constitutional power, with all authority vested in the Executive Council. The council however, meets solely to endorse and give legal force to decisions already made by the Cabinet.
Functions and powers
The Cabinet arguably has the most power of any body in New Ingrea's system of government. The Cabinet has almost complete control over the legislative agenda of the government, and makes the decisions about what matters will be debated on the government's time. However, because the government often lacks a majority of seats in the Senate, a significant proportion of bills originate with individual members and senators, giving Parliament far more power than might otherwise be seen in this system of government.
The Cabinet takes many of the most important debates on government policy take place. All Cabinet meetings are private and the minutes of these meetings are kept confidential for thirty years. Decisions made in cabinet must be unanimous, although dissent over a particular issue is common enough, and encourages better outcomes from the submissions put. Once a decision is made by the Cabinet, it's members must all publicly support it. Public dissent by a minister obliges him to resign or be dismissed by the Prime Minister.
Composition
The cabinet currently comprises fifteen executive ministers, appointed by the King on the advise of the Prime Minister. Each minister is responsible for a ministerial portfolio consisting of several government departments, and must advise the Monarch and Prime Minister on any political matter relating to his ministry. Additional members may be appointed as "ministers without portfolio", which is a seldom used devise to appoint members to the cabinet that do not oversee a ministry. The current portfolios and their ministries are as follows:
Key
| Minister in the House of Assembly | |
| Minister in the Senate | |
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Cabinet portfolios
The following are the senior ministerial posts, known as cabinet portfolios: