Cabinet

:This article discusses the governmental body, for other meanings see cabinet (disambiguation)

Westminster Cabinets

Under the Westminster system members of the cabinet are collectively seen as responsible for government policy. The ranks of the ministers may be divided into tiers, with some (senior ministers) being members of cabinet (or an "Inner Cabinet"), while others only invited to cabinet meetings to discuss issues relevant to their portfolios. A third category, parliamentary secretaries, similar in function to an assistant minister, exists in some jurisdictions. Parliamentary secretaries do not attend cabinet meetings. All cabinet decisions are made by consensus; voting is not a part of cabinet decision making and a vote would normally never be taken in a cabinet meeting. All ministers, whether members of the cabinet or not, must support the policy of the government publicly regardless of any private reservations. The leader and chair of cabinet (usually the prime minister, although other titles include premier or chief minister) is head of government and is responsbible for the allocation of ministerial portfolios. Decisions of cabinet will always require the approval of the prime minister/premier. A reallocation of these portfolios is a cabinet reshuffle. In theory the prime minister/premier is first among equals but in practice the power to expel ministers from the Cabinet and determine their portfolios means that the Prime Minister has a high degree of control over cabinet.

Related Topics:
Westminster system - Parliamentary secretaries - Consensus - Prime minister - Premier - Chief minister - Head of government - Cabinet reshuffle - First among equals

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Cabinet deliberations are secret and documents tabled in cabinet are confidential. Most of the documentation associated with Cabinet deliberations will only be publicly released a considerable period after the particular cabinet disbands; for example, thirty years after they are tabled.

Related Topics:
Secret - Thirty years

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