Belmopan 10 March 2009 (Belizean.com) Mininister of Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Marcel Cardona has been kicked out of office by Prime Minister Dean Barrow following a spat over a a multi-million dollar tourism contract. Hon. Cardona tangled with Barrow National Institute of Culture and History appointee Dianne Haylock over the award of a license to establish a restaurant and tourism trinket shop within a protected conservation area.

Belize Telemedia reports that "For weeks speculation had been rife that a Cabinet reshuffle would be imminent after the municipal elections. Well today, the first order of business, even before Cabinet met, was the announcement of the anticipated reshuffle, the first for the Barrow Administration. It did not amount to a major shake up in Belmopan and the loser is Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Marcel Cardona, who has been removed from Cabinet and will now sit in the back bench."