by Linda Straker
- LaCrette was fired by Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell approximately 3 months ago
- LaCrette confirmed social media post that he had resigned from NDC
- NDC has not issued public statement about LaCrette’s resignation
Jonathan LaCrette, former Senator and Government Minister who was fired by Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell approximately 3 months ago, has resigned as a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Reports are correct,” was his response via text message when asked to confirm the circulating social media post claiming that he had resigned from the party. The party is yet to issue a public statement about LaCrette’s resignation.
La Crette contested the St George North-West constituency for the NDC. He came up against former Prime Minister Dr Keith Mithcell who represented that constituency in the Lower House of Parliament since the 1984 General Election.
A former educator who resigned from his post in the Ministry of Education in 2022 to join the party and contest the 2022 General Election, LaCrette was fired by the Prime Minister 7 months after he was appointed to the post of sports minister following the January 2024 Cabinet reshuffle. Before that, he was the Health Minister and served as Acting Foreign Affairs Minister on several occasions when Joseph Andall, the substantive minister, was out of state on Government business.
The Senate or Upper House of Parliament comprises 13 representatives. La Crette was one of 7 senators appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister following the 2022 General Election.
During a news conference on 1 August, Prime Minister Mitchell informed the nation that he had asked the Governor-General to revoke LaCrette’s appointment. No specific reason was given for the termination other than the Prime Minister saying that he had lost trust and confidence in the senator. “The reason for doing so is that as Prime Minister, sitting in the Cabinet I formed the view that I had personally lost trust and confidence in Minister LaCrette in his capacity as a Minister and in those circumstances, I thought it was appropriate for me to inform him of that fact and to inform his fellow Cabinet colleagues,” the Prime Minister told reporters. “I will not get involved into the nitty-gritty of the details — they are not appropriate given the fact that it is a trust and confidence issue.”
At the time, the Prime Minister said LaCrette would continue to be the party’s caretaker for the St George North-West constituency.
This guy is a real clown?