Jul 08 – Three-Hour Budget Reply From Picardo: GSD Is Inconsistent And Lacks Vision
Any hopes that the post-referendum call for cross-party unity would lead to a less acrimonious Budget session were dashed by a mega three-hour reply delivered by the Chief Minister this afternoon in which he accused the GSD of being inconsistent and lacking in vision.
Mr Picardo, who moved methodically between the different areas covered by the Opposition members earlier in the week, accused several GSD MPs of making “many rookie errors” in their maiden speeches.
On public finances, a familiar bone of contention which dominated the Chief Minister’s address, Mr Picardo said the GSD criticized the health of the public purse “only to create fear” and that his administration’s management of departmental spending, public debt and the creation of a ‘rainy day fund’ contrasted with how the GSD had handled such affairs over 16 years.
He said the GSD “will trick us into taking the road of austerity while this Government will take Gibraltar down the road of investment and prosperity.”
He said the party was riven by inconsistency because it advocated spending cuts while, at the same time, complaining about projects that have yet to be completed.
He argued: “The members opposite are not singing from the same hymn sheet; they want the Government to cut spending and chastise them when they are late with projects.”
Some of Mr Picardo’s sharpest criticisms were reserved for Roy Clinton, the GSD’s Shadow Minister for Public Finance.
He said the GSD MP had gone “from high financier to ineffective colonial bookkeeper” and argued that, contrary to Mr Clinton’s suggestion, the Government did not delay payments to present a rosier financial picture ahead of Budget day.
Mr Picardo said: “This is not a disguised deficit – we don’t delay the paying of bills to make artificial figures.”
Mr Picardo defended the decision to secure an “investment” in Government housing stock of £300m achieveing what he described as very favourable repayment terms.
He contrasted this approach to what he said the GSD was in the process of doing when in power: “They were going to sell the family silver while we’ve raised cash for the community.”
Parliament continues at 4.30pm this afternoon.
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