Premier Ewart Brown unveiled his new Government yesterday — rewarding PLP-supporting radio host Thaao Dill with a Senate seat and halving the number of women in his team.

Dr. Brown kept his Tourism and Transport briefs but has also given himself control of the judiciary, legislature and Department of Public Prosecution, by scrapping the Ministry of Justice, taking those departments away from the Attorney General and transferring them to the Cabinet Office.

He ditched party stalwarts Neletha Butterfield, Dennis Lister and brothers Wayne and Philip Perinchief from the new Cabinet. Davida Morris lost her Senate seat to make way for the Premier's cousin Walton Brown, who ran unsuccessfully for the PLP in Pembroke West.

Sen. Kim Wilson, who owns her own law firm, was made Attorney General and newly elected MP Elvin James was given his first ministerial portfolio: Environment and Sports.

Nelson Bascome returned to the fold as Health Minister, a position he has held twice before, and Terry Lister was brought back into Cabinet with the newly formed Energy, Telecommunications and E-Commerce brief.

The Premier sticks with Tourism and Transport, Deputy Premier Paula Cox remains Finance Minister and Randy Horton holds onto Education.

Former union chief Derrick Burgess is now Works and Engineering Minister having lost Labour to Sen. David Burch, who keeps Housing and Public Safety, renamed Home Affairs.

Sen. Burch, who remains Government Senate Leader, now has responsibility for immigration and is junior minister of Works and Engineering.

Dale Butler keeps Social Rehabilitation but also takes on Culture, formerly held by Wayne Perinchief, with 25-year-old Sen. Dill, the popular breakfast show presenter on Hott 107.5 FM, his junior minister.

The new Cabinet and Senators were sworn in at Government House at a 4 p.m. ceremony presided over by new Governor Sir Richard Gozney.

Dr. Brown told those gathered: "Today is a wonderful day. I'm so proud of the team that we have been able to assemble here.

"This two-day Government has made many commitments and promises to the people of Bermuda and sometimes promises get forgotten because they come during the heat and tension of a political battle.

"I can tell you clearly that this Government, this party, made promises that it intends to keep and the way that we will best keep our promises is by assembling the best team we think we can put on the field."

Asked later why there were only two women in the team, he replied: "I hadn't noticed." He added that both females in his Government had jobs in "very important areas".

"We just simply went for the best people we could find," he said.

Dr. Brown said he had been planning to create a Ministry of Energy for the past six months and pointed out that its name comes before Telecommunications and E-Commerce in the new Ministry's title.

"We didn't want it to be an afterthought. We know that Bermuda has to take a fresh and determined look at its energy needs. We intend to take this head on."

The Premier said he expected Sen. Dill to bring new energy and vibrancy to the Upper House.

"He is obviously a person who is well-read and has his finger on the pulse, particularly with the young community."

Sen. Dill's appointment comes less than 48 hours after he told The Royal Gazette he had no plans to take up a career as a politician. Dr. Brown has already championed his part in helping the Progressive Labour Party sweep to glory at Tuesday's General Election, telling celebrating supporters that evening: "The PLP does not own a newspaper, we don't own a TV station. We don't own the other radio stations, except we have a friend at Hott."

Mr. Bascome has been reappointed Health Minister despite the fact that he is facing a trial over theft allegations in April.

In February, the 52-year-old stepped down as Health Minister to fight court cases, telling the media: "I simply cannot allow the success of this Government's programme to be clouded by a personal matter."

Ten months ago, Dr. Brown said Mr. Bascome's move allowed Government "to remain focused on the task at hand which is to do the best we can for the people of Bermuda".

A charge of corruption against Mr. Bascome was thrown out by Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner before it reached a Supreme Court jury, but the politician is still accused of theft. He denies stealing $56,000 entrusted to him by the Bank of Bermuda for business purposes between September 2003 and February 2004; and $20,000 from the Natural Business Company, of which he was a director, in March 2004.

Mr. Horton admitted he would like to have kept the Sports portfolio but that it "makes sense" for Education to go solo.

"I look forward to making a difference in education," he said, adding that he was going to "love" working with junior minister Walton Brown.

Mr. Butler said he was happy to take on the extra responsibility of Culture.

"Culture is my forte. I have laid a very good foundation in Social Rehabilitation. I'm very excited."

Ms Morris is understood to be returning to college so would have been unable to have stayed in the Senate.

Patrice Minors, who held onto Smith's North against a challenge from former Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley on Tuesday, was offered a position in the new Cabinet but turned it down.

Yesterday's changes reduce the size of Cabinet by one to a team of ten.