Our series 'People Under Pressure' this week looks at Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin.

EDMUND BARTLETT moved into the job as tourism minister like a firefighter rushing into a burning building or a doctor racing into the delivery room at the 11th hour.

Having shadowed the portfolio for several years, Bartlett started with an advantage over many of the new government ministers and was soon winning applause for his energy and drive.

In fact, Bartlett was regularly among the top-performing ministers in any national poll with the only questions being about his frequent travels.

But the past month has not been an easy road for the bubbly minister who had been praised by Prime Minister Bruce Golding for his work to keep the tourist industry afloat when other countries around us were floundering.

First came news from major players in the tourist industry that things were much worse than reported by Bartlett.

Hoteliers claimed they had many empty rooms despite deep discounts, soft bookings for the upcoming winter tourist season and a general malaise in the sector.

Hauled over coals

And if that was not trouble enough, Bartlett was reportedly hauled over the coals by his boss after The Sunday Gleaner broke the story about the more than $8 million which was spent to refurbish his New Kingston offices.

Bartlett initially seemed prepared to defend the expenditure pointing to the timeline and the possible saving in energy cost.

But there was no way he could convince the country that $77,046 spent on an executive leather chair or $462,023 used to reupholster woodwork furniture was money well spent.

Bartlett was quickly forced to change his tune and later admitted that the refurbishing could have been done differently.

With Bartlett's 'furniture scandal' coming on the heels of the questionable expenditure on Mike Henry's house, the Bruce Golding administration found itself smack in the middle of its first real morality debate since assuming office in 2007.

That was compounded last Wednesday when the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee of Parliament was told that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) had spent millions of dollars to refurbish a community centre and repair roads in the East Central St James constituency.

That is the constituency represented by none other than the tourism minister, Bartlett.

Officials of the TEF argued that the expenditure was part of its outreach programme but were unable to tell the committee which other constituencies had been similarly treated.