Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce, Investment, and Consumer Affairs Rufus Bousquet of Saint Lucia

Rufus George Bousquet is a Saint Lucian politician who represents the constituency of Choiseul for the United Workers Party.

In early June 2007 Bousquet was dismissed from the government by Compton; some speculation attributed the dismissal to the restoration of relations with Taiwan.

Bousquet expressed his readiness to seek the UWP leadership at its planned convention in October 2007.

On June 6, 2008, having restored a good relationship with the Prime Minister and the cabinet, The Honorable Rufus Bousquet was sworn in as Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce, Investment and Consumer Affairs.

Readers will not soon forget that Rufus Bousquet was at the center of a storm earlier this year when it seemed the Stephenson King government would live or die, dependent on what Mr Bousquet did or did not do.

Bousquet said the driver had “swerved instinctively to the right to avoid the worst part of the tree.

The seemingly endless descent that Bousquet said felt like an eternity came to an end when the vehicle finally hit a large tree.

When the two men got out of the vehicle, the driver struggling because of his broken leg, Bousquet was faced with the task of making the up hill trek with his injured driver.

To make things worse, the road was completely blocked by the fallen tree and Bousquet said no one knew they were down there until they got close to the roadside.

Rufus Bousquet fired from St Lucia Cabinet CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC- Foreign Affairs Minister Rufus Bousquet has been fired from the Sir John Compton-led Cabinet, while another senior minister has been transferred from his portfolio, an official has confirmed.

ST LUCIA-POLITICS-Axed minister pledges commitment to ruling party CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC - Dismissed Foreign Affairs Minister Rufus Bousquet says he will remain committed to the ruling party, even though he is at a.

Bousquet said crime and security which was a leading issue in St Lucia’s recent elections, is a matter whose solution lends itself to a common approach.

Bousquet had abstained in the voting to support the national budget King had presented to the Parliament and, as he emerged from the weekend talks where the government had been able to quell the infighting, sought to put behind him the issues that had divided the Cabinet.

Lucia's former Foreign Affairs Minister Rufus Bousquet is expected to return to the Stephenson King Cabinet as the Prime Minister makes a bid to end a rift which threatened to crumble his administration.

Bousquet was fired from his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs last June by the then prime minister Sir John Compton, in a fiasco over the United Workers Party (UWP) administration's decision to switch diplomatic allegiance from China to Taiwan.

King said that Bousquet had been dismissed for deliberately ignoring a demand from Sir John notto sign the documents paving the way for the change until a scheduled Cabinet meeting.

However, Bousquet denied rumours that he was planning to work with the opposition to topple the King administration.

Bousquet was reacting to reports Thursday that the Republic of China was "highly offended" over the St Lucia government’s stated intention to resume full diplomatic relations with Taiwan at the earliest possible opportunity.

Bousquet said Beijing also asked the leaders of its allies in the Caribbean region as well as the secretary-general of the Caribbean Community to call St.

Rufus Bousquet is back and a Cabinet reshuffle is imminent.

Bousquet says it was a question of looking at the big picture.

Informed sources told the Caribbean Media Cor-poration (CMC) yesterday that the decision to dismiss Bousquet was made during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday chaired by King.

King is reported to have held talks with Sir John at his hospital bedside last weekend and the sources said that Bousquet had been dismissed for his failure to perform effectively in government.

But, it is widely speculated here that Bousquet is being disciplined for his part in the controversy that followed the decision to break off diplomatic relations with China in favour of Taiwan.

It is not immediately known what impact the Cabinet changes and dismissals would have on the government since media reports had indicated that Bousquet had the backing of a majority of Cabinet ministers in his stance against China.

This is the second time that Bousquet has been dismissed from a Cabinet headed by Sir John.

Bousquet was fired as foreign affairs minister last June by King's predecessor, the late Sir John Compton, for allegedly flouting directives pertaining to the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

CASTRIES, St Lucia Dismissed foreign minister Rufus Bousquet says he expects to be a member of the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephenson King soon.

Last weekend, King was the sole candidate nominated for the leadership of the ruling United Workers Party (UWP) even though Bousquet had expressed an interest in the post.

In the announced cabinet reshuffle, King said that Bousquet had been appointed Minister for Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Investment.

Bousquet was fired as Minister of Foreign Affairs last June by King's predecessor, the late Sir John Compton, for allegedly flouting directives pertaining to the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

of Prime Minister Stephenson King soon.

Bousquet had expressed an interest in the post.

over his handling of the change in diplomatic relations from China to Taiwan.

Bousquet said crime and security which was a leading issue in St.

the St Lucia Gazette revealed a number of interesting facilities.

Bousquet said Taiwan has agreed to help St.

Bousquet had indicated that any decision would be based on which suitor could offer a better deal to St.

Lucian Minister of Foreign Affairs Rufus Bousquet said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bousquet said the new St.

Lucia's agricultural development, increase employment opportunities for its citizens and narrow the urban-rural development gap, Bousquet said that he believed Taiwan has strong abilities to assist St.