The Cabinet Minister in charge of the two main pillars of Bermuda’s economy is part-time but Patrice Minors insisted yesterday that wasn’t a problem.Ms Minors, Minister for Business Development and Tourism, is the only member of Premier Paula Cox’s 13-strong Cabinet who isn’t full-time, meaning she gets a government salary of $112,000 a year $56,000 less than most fellow Ministers in the House of Assembly.The total annual cost of Cabinet salaries comes to $2.1 million and Bermuda Democratic Alliance deputy leader Kathy Michelmore questioned last night why there were no ministerial paycuts to show “leadership by example”.Shadow Attorney General Trevor Moniz, meanwhile, said the appointment of Ms Minors should be revisited.“That’s the one Minister that needs to travel frequently and when business delegations go abroad they want the Minister with them,” he said. “They don’t want to hear ‘I’m busy, I can’t go on this trip’.”Ms Michelmore said the recent performance of Bermuda with regard to declining business registrations, the “out-flux” of employees to other jurisdictions and the struggling tourism industry gave a clear answer on whether the job could be done part-time.Ms Minors, an assistant vice-president for Butterfield Bank, said there was nothing novel about ministers with separate careers managing their portfolios.She added: “That said, I can assure the public that I am committed to the effective and efficient management of the Ministry of Business Development and Tourism.“Since my appointment in November, this has been an exciting and rewarding experience and I very much look forward to shaping and strengthening the twin pillars that fall under this Ministry.“I am gratified that I have a capable and dedicated group of civil servants who have the acumen and expertise to execute on the Ministry’s mandate.”Ms Minors said the Premier wouldn’t have appointed her if she believed the portfolio couldn’t be managed effectively.“While it’s correct that I do hold an AVP position at Butterfield Bank, I’m pleased to note that neither areas of my public or private responsibilities have been disadvantaged,” she added.The Minister said she’d made several overseas trips to promote the Island since November and had another three arranged.“It is no secret that I am a wife and mother and receive great support and understanding from both husband and daughter,” she said.“I am a firm believer that women have a significant role to play in political governance and if my political representation serves as an encouragement to women to enter the realm of public service then my efforts will not be in vain. My desire is to serve and serve I will.”The Royal Gazette reported on Tuesday that most full-time Ministers who are also MPs earn $168,000 a year. That means, for example, that Minister without Portfolio Michael Weeks picks up more than National Security Minister David Burch, a senator, who gets $142,000.Mr Moniz said: “As much as I like Michael Weeks, he’s doing nothing useful [as a Minister]. There is no purpose to that appointment. In this time of recession, we can’t afford to pay for his education.”But Mr Weeks insisted last night: “I’m worth it and I’m working for my money.”He said he’d been given a number of projects to look at, including the setting up of a Youth Council, and was responsible in the Budget for non-Ministry departments, such as Government House and the Auditor General.Ms Michelmore said it was difficult to say whether one Minister’s salary should be higher than another’s without knowing the job descriptions and expectations for each.“In the private sector, salary would also be linked to performance and it would be interesting to debate the merit of requiring Ministers to set targets at the beginning of their tenures,” she said.“The Premier has stated that ‘we’re all in this together’ with the need to weather the difficult times in the year ahead.“I am sure that many charities who have had government grants completely removed and departments that are being asked to ‘do more with less’ will be questioning the equity of cutbacks.”The Premier’s spokeswoman confirmed Ms Minors was the only part-time Cabinet member.This newspaper asked if Ms Cox was confident the Minister could manage her brief and if the Premier would consider making some other Ministers part-time during these tough financial times.The spokeswoman said on her behalf: “Ministers’ salaries are set by an independent salary review board established by an Act of Parliament.“It is so constituted to ensure Ministers do not make judgements in their own interest. The last adjustment to parliamentary salaries took place on April 1, 2009. Given the state of the economy, no increases have been taken since that time.“The political history of our country reflects Ministers who have ably served whether full or part-time. Personal sacrifice attends with political office and there is no doubt that those who have been selected, and have accepted to serve, do so out of a commitment to their people and country.”