Daines Ministry (Wiltshire)

Wiltshire Prime Minister Grace Daines

Frank Eddington (3023 - present)

Minority (January 3023 - present)

Ramsay Bowell (December 3022 - present)

The government of Wiltshire Prime Minister **Grace Daines** was formed on 11 December 3022 following her victory in the December 3022 Stability Party of Wiltshire leadership election. The contest was called following the resignation of Mario Giordano, and represented a huge swing in the direction of the government of Wiltshire - from that of a progressive tax and spend government to that of a conservative one.

In December 3022, Daines announced a reorganization of the cabinet. The cabinet was reduced to an eight member decision making body comprised of "Ministers of State", with all other roles being allocated to one of the eight Offices of State. All other ministers became "Junior Ministers", as a part of a larger and less collective body.

In January 3023, following a number of Assembly defections, the Daines Ministry was reduced to a minority government. Following that, there was a major cabinet reshuffle, which saw the return of Mario Giordano to government (as foreign minister), as well as David Loynd (as social affairs minister).

## Policies

In the December 3022 government budget, the Chancellor announced that the Daines Ministry would institute significant changes to the fiscal policy of Wiltshire. Below is a list of the major policies enacted by the Daines Ministry:

* Cut personal income tax for every individual payer, largely benefitting higher income earners;
* Cut corporate income tax from 10% to 9%, with a further cut to 7% planned for 3024;
* Creation of a new "charitable and faith organization" tax category and setting the income tax in that category to 0%;
* Freeze in increases to national and local government spending until 4% efficiency targets can be met in the offices of state and local governments;
* Creation of a new 'sovereign grant' to be paid to the Balancín Monarchy for the purposes of expanding the monarchy across Wiltshire.

## Government changes

In December 3022, Prime Minister Grace Daines confirmed a mass reorganization of the cabinet, in which eight "offices of state" were created, reducing the size of the cabinet down to just eight key "ministers of state", with other ministers becoming "junior ministers" within the larger offices of state.

One of the most controversial changes was that of the appointment of Kenny Rushmore to position of Social Affairs Minister. The move was considered a snub to Amelio Portrez, a 'true conservative' who had previously held the title in a more limited capacity under the previous cabinet set up.

Madeline Ross, the Ambassador to the DCM and Junior Minister for Corporations, was fired by the Prime Minister during a review of the government's position on Wiltshire's relationship with the Covalence Mechanism. In her place, former Wiltshire First Leader and former Foreign Minister Bernard Canterbury was named as her successor, signalling a return to "nationalistic" policies in this area.

Following the defections of four Assembly Members, there were three ministerial resignations: Lechlan McKenna (deputy prime minister and minister of state for the communities office), Wanda Gallego (junior minister for local government), and Barney Speyer (junior minister for work and welfare). Additionally, in the cabinet reshuffle that following, Bernard Canterbury (DCM ambassador) and Gerald Stevenson (minister of state for defence) both left the government.

## List of Ministers of State and Junior Ministers

**Bold** represents Ministers of State

Cabinet Office

Minister of State for the Cabinet Office
 Leader of the National Assembly

Junior Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
 Junior Minister for the Civil Service

Terrace Street Chief of Staff

Home Office
 Junior Minister for Policing and Fire
 Junior Minister for Immigration
 Junior Minister for Energy
 National Security Advisor

Junior Minister for Security

Justice Office

Minister of State for Justice
 Solicitor General of Wiltshire

Junior Minister for the Courts
 Junior Minister for Prisons and Community Service