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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesTURNBULL FIRES HEALTH COMMISSIONER CALLENDER

TURNBULL FIRES HEALTH COMMISSIONER CALLENDER

Gov. Charles Turnbull sacked Health Commissioner Wilbur Callender on Monday for being "insubordinate."
Callender is the second Turnbull Cabinet appointee to get the ax on those grounds — although the first, Michael Bornn, had yet to be confirmed by the Legislature as Tourism commissioner when he was ousted.
According to a Government House release late Monday evening, Callender was "relieved of his duties during a Monday morning meeting with the governor where a number of policy disagreements were being discussed."
The release said that during the meeting, Callender "became insubordinate" and after "repeated warnings" was fired by Turnbull after his "conduct did not improve." The release did not say what the two disagreed on.
Efforts to contact Callender on Monday night were unsuccessful and the telephone went unanswered at Government House.
Turnbull named Dr. Lucien A. Moolenaar, deputy commissioner of Health, to be acting commissioner until further notice.
In October, Turnbull withdrew his nomination of Bornn, who was then the acting Tourism commissioner, because, among other things, of Bornn’s public stance against the administration’s $300 million bond issue. At the time, Turnbull said he withdrew his nomination of Bornn because of differences in "operating and management styles." Turnbull said Bornn liked "to go his own way even after repeated admonishments and warnings to do otherwise."
As for Callender, Turnbull wished him well. "I wish to thank Dr. Callender for his service during his tenure . . . and wish him success in his future endeavors," the release quoted the governor as saying.

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