(Jamaica Gleaner) – Senator Dwight Nelson and West Portland Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz have emerged two of the big winners, while two former ‘shining stars’, Clive Mullings and Colonel Trevor MacMillan, were the ‘losers’ when Prime Minister Bruce Golding reshuffled his Cabinet on Monday.

While James Robertson was also added to the winners’ circle, the curtain has come down on the Cabinet career of the ailing Derrick Smith.

In confirming the reshuffle, the Office of the Prime Minister indicated that Nelson had been rewarded for his good work with public-sector groups with a shift to the high-profile Ministry of National Security.

Golding announced the Cabinet changes on Monday, hours after the Opposition People’s National Party called for a reduction in the size of the Cabinet and poured cold water on his decision to take a 15 per cent salary cut. The new Cabinet has been reduced by two posts, to 17. Vaz has been identified as a hard worker by Golding and on Monday, the West Portland member of parliament was promoted to a full ministerial post in the Office of the Prime Minister.

“Daryl is a doer. He is an action person. He is somebody who believes that missions are there to be accomplished, jobs are there to be done and tasks are there to be ticked off. He is someone who doesn’t need to be prodded, if anything, he is like a raging bronco who needs to be restrained at times,” Golding declared last Wednesday as he welcomed Vaz back to government duties.

According to Jamaica House, Vaz will now have responsibility for information and telecommunications, while retaining responsibility for special projects, working from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The information portfolio was held by Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange while Smith had responsibility for telecommunications.

Grange, who is off the island, has been left with youth, sports and culture, and Smith has tendered his resignation from the Cabinet.

While Smith’s resignation came as no surprise, the resignations of Mullings and MacMillan were unexpected.

Golding gave no reason for the resignations, even as he thanked Smith, a veteran politician, and the two relative newcomers in Mullings and MacMillan.

Mullings was one of the star performers while the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was in opposition but never shone as brightly after the party’s 2007 election victory, despite being given the plum portfolio of energy, mining.