My First Two Weeks - Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia
By Dr Joseph Garcia
In the two weeks since the General Election, we have begun work to compile all 735 commitments made in the 2019 Green Gibraltar manifesto. These will then be split up and distributed between different Ministers as happened in 2011 and again in 2015.
We have a record of giving effect to manifesto commitments which is second to none.
In relation to the election and subsequent Ministerial reshuffle, I also met with Ministers Daryanani and Balban in respect of their new portfolios. In keeping up my regular public information work, I gave an interview on Brexit contingency and another interview for GBC’s Viewpoint regarding our 2019-2023 programme for Government.
In relation to my own portfolios, I have brought myself up to date with lands issues and met with leaseholders of a site on Devil’s Tower Road who discussed the possibility of developing their site. In continuing our work on Brexit, I held a video conference meeting with representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and have been briefed on all the latest Brexit Contingency measures being planned and/or implemented.
I also joined the Chief Minister in a meeting with the Mayor of La Linea. Importantly, I also held separate discussions on the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in order to progress the transparency agenda of the Government.
I am delighted with the progress achieved in these two weeks. I am also encouraged by the fact that Brexit has been delayed once more. I concur with the views expressed by the Chief Minister that this extension and the general election do indeed make the prospect of a hard, no-deal Brexit slightly more distant than it looked as recently as at the time of the General Election here a couple of weeks ago. The possibility of ‘no deal’ still remains of course, and we will continue to work and remain vigilant.
Dr Joseph Garcia is the Deputy Chief Minister
