dropped all charges against both men. In December 2009, in the context of a Cabinet reshuffle, Carcasses left the Opposition and joined Natapei's government, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs. In his latter capacity, he argued that unemployment in Vanuatu should be addressed by encouraging young people to return to agricultural work in their native rural areas, and produce their own food, rather than move to Port Vila where they would often struggle to find a job. He joined the Cabinet as the leader of an informal "Alliance" of MPs from a variety of small parties, and three independent MPs. As Minister for Internal Affairs and Labour, he stated that he had prevented unqualified applicant Chinese labourers in the construction sector from obtaining or renewing work permits, "because these people wanted to rob employment from ni-Vanuatu. My policy is that 'man ples' [indigenous ni-Vanuatu] are the priority". In December 2010, when the Natapei government was ousted in a vote of no confidence, Carcasses supported his successor Sato Kilman, and obtained a post as Minister of Finance and Economic Management in the new government. Kilman was himself ousted in a vote of no confidence on 24 April 2011, however, and Carcasses lost his position in government. He recovered it three weeks later, on 13 May, when the court of appeal voided the election of Serge Vohor's new government on constitutional grounds, and the Kilman government was restored. This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was itself voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Carcasses lost office once more. He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet. Prime Minister of Vanuatu Carcasses retained his seat in the October 2012 general election, and maintained his confidence in the Kilman government, of which however he was no longer a member. He sat as a government backbencher until 20 March 2013, when he was one of 8 MPs to cross the floor, join the Opposition and force Kilman to resign. Three days later, Parliament elected Carcasses as Prime Minister, with the support of 34 MPs out of 52. He is the first foreign-born person to lead the country, and his predecessor objected to his election on those grounds. In addition to his focus on the environment (including the creation of a Ministry for Planning