Here’s the full text of Marlene Hassan Nahon’s Budget speech:

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address this House to deliver my speech in my third year as an independent Member of this House. I would like to start off by thanking you Mr. Speaker, for your usual direction and attention whenever I have needed guidance, which has always been a great comfort to me in view of the fact that I work alone in this House and usually need more steering than other members who enjoy a party structure and the mentoring of a seasoned leader. I also take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff here in this House who are always readily available to help me with whatever I may need, Frances, Kevin and Daniel, led by Paul Martinez. Thank you all Mr. Speaker

ECONOMY AND BUDGET

Mr Speaker. It has been common for the budget speeches in our esteemed House to be read out in a rote manner, with all the figures of balances and increases or decreases in funds etc, being presented in a matter of fact manner.

However, Mr Speaker, these figures and percentages often miss the reality of what is truly happening in our so-called robust economy. I have often felt, and now hear often from many of my constituents, both local business persons and individuals, that there are areas of the economy that have been forgotten and issues within the economy that need addressing.

Let me start Mr Speaker with the lack of an overall strategy. To be honest this comment would require a review of our economy over the last 20 years and it’s transformation from MOD based to Finance and Gaming based. But I will summarize by saying that given the changing priorities of both private companies and global organizations like the OECD, surely our dependence on the above-mentioned pillars of our economy urgently needs reviewing. What has been needed, and is needed now, is a multi faceted strategy that looks to the future of work and technology and how these two will be impacted over the years to come.

It is also crucial to conduct a study of Gibraltar’s Gini coefficient to get a clearer picture of the inequalities of this economy. With the announcement of GDP per capita at 111,000 US dollars, just under 85,000 GBP, our growth is commendable. However, when the minimum wage is roughly 14,000 pounds per annum, one questions the true equality of our economy. If our GDP per capita is shot up by a minority of extremely wealthy individuals, we must know. We will not get a totally true reflection of the state of our economy until we are aware of how to fix its income inequality. Equally, it is important to identify the areas which will give us a sustainable and secure source of income and work well into the future. You would think a socialist government would be interested in levels of inequality and planning ahead for the economy of the next generation. At present Mr Speaker, this is not evident.

As for Public Expenditure, Mr Speaker, where does one begin? The last six years have seen unprecedented growth in public expenditure. There are many in our society aware that at present Government is the source of increasing business and trade, and I have spoken to many who raise their concerns.

Given that Government last year, and this year once again, increased the Social Insurance costs by 10% in two consecutive budgets, questions are being raised as to whether this increase was/is justified in contrast to the inflation rate and also given some of the less essential services that Government are currently providing. Most importantly, many have asked as to the Government Owned companies that are now playing ever increasing roles in some sectors. I here refer to GJBS, Mr Speaker. The company is a fully Government owned company as I understand it. It was set up by the GSD to carry out construction projects for Government when other companies had let the Government down. But today it appears to be a company that works for the private sector as well, and this appears to give them an unfair advantage over other competitors.

That is just one of the Government owned companies I mention. There are others Mr Speaker. In the latest figures we can see that there seems to be an annual, recurring, funding of Government owned companies to the tune of £25m. I understand that how this is distributed is not fully laid out in Government Estimates. On Page 165 there is only a single line referring to this amount.

Will the public at large know where and how this money, their money, is being allocated in this matter?

Carrying on in the line of Government expenditure it also appears that there are some areas where priorities are lacking. Mr Speaker, our postal services are now costing the public purse in the region of £9m per annum. In most countries the postal service actually makes a profit. In contrast, our Tax office, in much need of a facelift considering the vital role it plays in our public funding, only receives just over £2m. And of course there are stories of how many individuals are now receiving assessments from over 5 years ago and given sometimes a month to come up with any shortfall, and face fines in the event that these amounts are not paid on time. As for those fortunate enough to receive a rebate, well they have had to wait similar times for these funds to be returned. Often it is the most needy of our citizens who pay for this shortfall in service Mr Speaker.

I must also mention one other area Mr Speaker that troubles me and has come to light recently and that is the recurring cost of the prison service. I know that we have a dedicated team of officers taking care of our prisoners. However many of our prisoners have been interned for, at times, petty crime.

At present there are about 55-60 prisoners and the costs of keeping them there is, this year, expected to be just over £3.2m. Approximately £53k per inmate per annum. Mr Speaker I believe that this is a rather high figure and would like the opportunity to know more about how we are dealing with this issue, not just on a financial level but on a human and compassionate level.

Mr Speaker, I must move on. But these are just a few pointers on the state of public finance that I believe need to be addressed. But I must now move on to key sectors.

CONSTRUCTION AND HOUSING

Mr Speaker, I will not bring up the GJBS matter now as I have already mentioned it. I will here bring up the issue of how Gibraltar is being transformed physically and how the construction industry has of course boomed. There are many reasons for this and it appears from my understanding that demand for property in Gibraltar at present outstrips supply. This has led to a massive increase in developments for sale in the mid to upper price brackets that seem to be selling out even before the ink on the sales brochure is dry. However we are in a crisis.

There is a need for social housing like never before and it is the most vulnerable of Gibraltar who are suffering the worst. As an Independent MP who juggles all portfolios, I can safely say that 90% of the cases that come to me are coming to me with Housing issues. The waiting list for Government housing for 1 bedroom flats is now over 600. Action for Housing have recently made public that some of our most vulnerable elderly members of society will not live long enough to see the day when they will be able to live in a decent home of their own. The rental market of apartments in Gibraltar is closer to London prices than ever before. And there are locals who want to rent locally and are being forced to find accommodation in nearby Spain. This, despite the massive expenditure on structural projects by the present Government. It is time for a serious review. The present Housing Act is in need of review and must not penalize Landlords when it comes to Social Housing.

Mr. Speaker, also on the issue of housing, I was gravely concerned to hear after a fire in an upper town estate that there are no fire retardants in communal areas of government estates. A dog, which later died in the fire, averted the tragedy by alerting the building of the fire.

Mr Speaker, I then raised questions in Parliament about this, all to no avail. In the wake of Grenfell Mr. Speaker, I believe we owe it to this community to provide the maximum Health and Safety standards to those residents living in government estates who largely depend on the state for support. We are indebted to them Mr. Speaker, to furnish them with adequate health and safety measures in communal areas and I urge government to reconsider implementing such means to our government estates as soon as possible. We should not have to rely on the heroism of pets to rescue the population of our estates.

WHOLESALE/RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

But back to the budget Mr Speaker... The wholesale/retail sector of Gibraltar has been a key sector of Gibraltar’s economy ever since it provided goods and services to the Garrison that was established in the 1700’s. It has evolved in one way or another to provide for the local community and also for the visiting tourist. However there are challenges in this sector and you have already seen the report, made public, by the GFSB. In the UK not a day goes by without some news of retailers and traders going under. Government would do well to support this sector.

Not necessarily with subsidies but with time and support to ensure that our offering is good for both locals and visitors alike. A review of import duties, the tariffs and the manner in which they are being collected is overdue. In addition, our local business entrepreneurs are keen to know that their interests are also being considered when discussing Brexit with the UK, and not just the passporting issues that are affecting the Finance and perhaps the Gaming industry.

DLT/BLOCKCHAIN

Mr Speaker. I know that this Government is investing heavily in the DLT/Blockchain space as a potential area of growth. And of course when one looks at how exciting this space is on a global level it is totally understandable. However, it is important that we look into the net benefits for Gibraltar as a whole in this industry and not just the privileged few. With this in mind it would be a good time to make public what the net effects are expected for the local population and particularly with regard to our well-educated youth demographic and ensure that there is a level playing field.

GAMING

The gaming industry appears to have been a boom for Gibraltar. But one of the costs of the gaming industry has been the massive influx of staff from abroad and the subsequent rise in rental rates in Gibraltar substantially affecting the local population in terms of long or short-term rentals. I alluded to the housing problem we are facing in Gibraltar earlier. This budget fails to implement specific measures to tackle the very unique needs of our economy, particularly with regards to many of the by products it creates. Given that the income generated from this industry is an annual £13m, would it be possible to allocate some of these funds to the building of the much-needed 1-bedroom homes that our society so desperately needs?

THE BUSINESS LICENSING AUTHORITY

Mr Speaker. The BLA was set up in order to regulate and possibly protect the local businesses from unfair competition. It was supposed to do away with the cumbersome and possibly illegal [in the eyes of the EU] Trade Licensing Authority.

From my understanding, it has not been effective in the “protection” aspect with many businesses from Spain and other countries able to trade and provide services without the licence required. There has also been a lack of regulation and enforcement from my understanding. Mr Speaker, I ask the Government whether they are aware of the difficulties that local established businesses are having and whether the BLA is fit for purpose?

TAXATION

I mentioned taxation earlier Mr Speaker, when I addressed the needs of the Tax office and my opinion that it was one department that needed more attention. But I now refer to the Tax code Mr Speaker. More particularly I refer to the complexity of the code and the two-tiered based system. Is this two-tiered system still fit for purpose? And if so, how? On another note, in this area I mention the two special tax categories of CAT2 and Hepps. My question Mr Speaker is whether these categories to create wealth have worked for Gibraltar and where have the benefits been seen? Also whether they are fit for purpose in today’s world. Because the world has changed substantially in terms of financial equality Mr Speaker, and so have the public attitudes and perceptions regarding wealth inequality.

Mr. Speaker it is estimated that 1% of the world’s population control over 85% of the world’s wealth. In terms of Gibraltar we cannot escape how the asset rich individuals are doing well and better as time goes on, as compared to many in Gibraltar who are not doing as well and seem to find no opportunity in this respect. We have in Gibraltar one of the highest GDP per capita but we need to balance out that most Gibraltarian citizens do not currently fit into that higher level. So the question then is, Mr Speaker, who does? There seems to be no acknowledgement of this reality in the budget, or any measure to placate this socially pernicious phenomenon.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Mr Speaker, I am glad to see that Government is giving the Environment the attention it deserves, and that this year’s budget has implemented green measures for our community. I also take this opportunity to thank NGOs like the Nautilus Project for raising awareness on the dangers of plastic and lobbying tirelessly in order to influence government to adopt such green incentives.

There is no doubt that their initiatives and achievements have been worthy in this field.

However, it is important that the citizens of Gibraltar understand that our economic growth and the unprecedented construction growth come at a price to our environment. There must come a time when we need to take stock and decide that there is quality in good air, more greenery and less traffic.

As most of you will be aware, not so long ago a group of people and I founded a political movement, Together Gibraltar, based on the premise that we need more engagement from the general public in political affairs. Together Gibraltar has continued bridging this divide between people and power, and has proven a very effective tool for me to take the pulse of the community. The movement has allowed me, in the absence of a party structure, to understand the concerns of many members of our community, and one of the issues that Gibraltarians give most importance to, is the quality of our air and the degradation of our environment. After a public meeting with an expert panel, I presented a motion in Parliament with a variety of initiatives to improve air quality, alleviate Traffic pollution, revamp our waste disposal and create a long term renewable energy plan.

I also suggested the creation of a cross party platform to supervise the overhaul of the environmental agenda, such that election cycles and varying manifesto commitments could not de-prioritise the issue. Only consistent efforts and Parliamentary consensus can guarantee the level of commitment this issue requires. We need the 20-30 year vision, targets and governance structures in place such that this remains a priority, but never considered in isolation of the economic growth. I am still in discussion with the Minister for the Environment about the motion, and will continue to be proactive on the issue.

CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS AGENDA

Mr. Speaker, the creation of Together Gibraltar is perhaps my proudest contribution this year to the political landscape, and I say this with joy and an enormous pride in this community. The western world needs to do more to seduce citizens – especially the young – into having an active role in politics and social issues, as it is proven that that influence makes our societies better. While Gibraltar ́s economy booms and our GDP grows, our community stagnates in the advancement of the rights of women and minorities.

And while more and more ambitious capital projects transform our geography, our “green” legislation and our efforts to improve our environment and mitigate climate change bear little to no fruit. While new, innovative sectors are introduced to our economy, we fail to make a comprehensive, honest effort to implement real transparency and accountability in our jurisdiction.

We have ample evidence of this. Women in Gibraltar, inspired by the #metoo global movement, have started demanding social victories that were achieved across Europe decades ago.

Mr. Speaker, we are seeing the fruits of people power unfolding before our very eyes, as active members of the community unite to demand the advancement of the civil rights agenda. I am sure many more agendas will follow, and that this level of empowerment will have a very positive impact on our community.

PRIVATISATION AND PENSIONS

Together Gibraltar has allowed me to make even stronger and closer ties with the other active collectives in our community. I have worked very closely with two collectives in particular, supply agency workers and Private sector Pensioners, both collectives who currently feel mistreated and marginalised by Government.

We must not forget that a mark of a functioning society is when all stakeholders of the nation are represented. This is most salient in the case of the worker, the bedrock of any economy. It cannot be denied, however, that these collectives suffer from significant mismanagement, which has left many individuals and sectors in unstable situations. For example, in the health sector, external recruitment agencies are offering short-term contracts and undercutting wages, diluting the workforce and shutting out the employees who are contracted centrally.

There are several examples of exploitation, miscommunication, and lack of foresight with regards to industrial relations by the current administration.

For starters, the back-door privatisation of the care service, together with a general policy of reducing costs by privatisation of key sectors of public service, is damaging the morale of health workers. This is something I pointed out in Parliament as far back as October 2016 when I illustrated the discontent and low morale on behalf of doctors and professional healthcare workers, warning at the time that this would undoubtedly have an impact on the quality of care received by the citizens of Gibraltar.

It is, of course, important to be prudent and efficient in hiring, but our public health system must be prioritized as a vital service, and not a playground for privatisation. The morale of our healthcare professionals is fundamental to the quality of healthcare we receive. If we are to continue to improve this (and other) vital services to the community, the conditions of our public sector workers and the general quality of our employment must be protected.

And this problem is far from limited to the health sector Mr. Speaker. Across the board there are more positions taken by recruitment companies with workers on limited contracts, while the worker who has done their hours for several years may still be on temporary contracts, lacking rights and benefits, and not being able to plan ahead in his/her life when they should be made permanent. To make matters worse, this privatisation process has been executed in a manner that is less than transparent, which further raises concerns as to the motivation behind this dramatic policy turn by a socialist government in name.

And what came of the future job strategy that was hailed in the New Dawn manifesto Mr. Speaker? Have recruitment agencies replaced this once popular initiative? The youth are our future and current workforce and they require security and long-term planning.

Similarly, older generations are concerned, especially those who worked in the private sector. Promises have been made to private sector pensioners but very few have been delivered.

While it is important to welcome the progress made for those at the bottom of the income bracket, it is important that we don’t allow those who have contributed to the growth of our private sector - from which, let ́s not forget, we fund most our public spending - to retire on what is effectively a subsistence wage, light years from the well earned pension packages of the public sector. The Private Sector Workers and Pensioners Association have lobbied and campaigned for over a decade, and I joined them this year in the demand for dignified living pensions. We said it then and I will say it again, it is an absolute ethical necessity that the promises made to our elderly on this issue are honoured. This is a collective made up of old age pensioners - our parents and grandparents. They are the people who have worked tirelessly to build our nation and our economy, who have contributed dutifully to the common pot and who now feel cast aside by their institutions.

The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party/Liberals will be in dire need of a change of name if things do not change soon. They are introducing market logic to state apparatus. Conservative governments in the UK will be proud when they find out that we're implementing similar policies here in Gibraltar under this so-called 'socialist' government.

Mr. Speaker, in his budget address, the honourable the Chief Minister said “part of living longer is about living healthier” and if we want to protect and provide quality of life to our ageing population, ensuring dignified pensions for all is a must.

HEALTH

Continuing with the health agenda, Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to have to report that mental health issues are a great concern in this community, and that despite the steps being taken by Government and NGOs to improve Mental Health services, there is still a lot of work to be done on this matter. There is a great deal of concern in this community about the increasing number of cases and the lacklustre way in which they are being managed. In young persons in particular, for example Mr. Speaker, 1 in 3 calls to Childline last year were related to mental health, with 12% of calls relating to suicidal thoughts, something which sadly reminds us of this Government’s failure to date, to fulfil their 2011 manifesto pledge of appointing specially trained mental health counsellors in schools.

However Mr. Speaker, I must take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Neil Costa at the Ministry of Health for his and his team’s –Especially Ms. Evelyn Cervan’s- sheer diligence and attention in servicing the needs of my constituents who, of course, in what is generally widely classified as the most important ministry of all, often have extremely serious and time sensitive issues and crises. Mr. Speaker credit has to be given when it is due and I am proud to thank the Honourable gentleman here publicly for assisting me to assist others, which is the reason why I am here in the first place, and his facilitating this challenge for me is something which I and the bucket loads of constituents I have brought to his attention, are indeed eternally grateful for.

Nevertheless Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, despite the sterling attention I and my constituents have enjoyed on a patient by patient level, I am sorry to report that the systemic issues at the GHA continue largely due to poor communication and the aforementioned back door privatisation. The GHA walkout earlier on in the year should have been enough to serve as a warning, however we have seen no signs of a change of policy.

And similarly Mr. Speaker, I was sorry to hear little by way of developments by the Honourable Minister for postal services regarding the post office review which has been ongoing for over a year. In this time Mr. Speaker, good people, young and old are working without contracts, without rights, without benefits, some for a period of five years already, while being loyal to the Government and continuing to provide a good service while they hope for permanent positions some day, so they can get on with their lives. We’re talking about mortgages, family planning...This is just NOT right Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the latest Cannabis developments to grow the plant locally and export, it is no secret that I have been campaigning for the plant to be used locally to relieve pain in sufferers ranging from Parkinson’s to Epilepsy. I am sorry that to date, the Government has not gone far enough to regulate using cannabis in a medical capacity and I urge them to consider placing regulation as a matter of urgency given its medicinal properties and the fact that every day that goes by, patients are suffering when they could be easily helped if Government allowed for this non toxic substance to be available as another ailment on the market.

Mr. Speaker, on the subject of smoking, I would like to welcome the announcement by the Ministry of Health for making the GHA and all ERS premises smoke-free as from this coming October, and I take this opportunity to implore on them, for the third or fourth time since I first raised the matter, to make smoking illegal in children’s play parks. Mr. Speaker, the image of toddlers and children picking up cigarette butts from the ground in my ‘pushing the stroller’ years as well as the visual of adults smoking in a kids’ zone, doesn’t escape me and I will keep reminding this House of the need to enforce legislation to this effect until we achieve it. Mr. Speaker, all that the Honourable gentleman, the Minister for Health needs to do on this matter, is extend the legislation due to come in in October to play parks as well as the GHA and ERS.

Mr. Speaker on other notes relating to the Health Ministry, like the promised much needed zebra crossing by the Hillside, the people of Gibraltar would welcome updates as it is imperative that the people of this community should have it easy and safe when crossing to and from visiting their vulnerable family and friends at the Hillside Residential centre.

EDUCATION

Mr. Speaker, on the Education portfolio, it is no secret that on this side of the House, all members agreed with the lack of consultation and communication between Government and stakeholders on the very topical subject of the new schools, in particular the secondary schools. A few months ago Together Gibraltar held a public poll online to assess the most pressing issue for its members. Education, and particularly the future of the new co-ed comprehensives was by far the most popular option. As of today Mr. Speaker, many vital issues such as the challenges of Key Stage realignment to TLR restructuring, the pay structure, and the general logistics of the co-ed revolution remain unanswered, concerns which should have been allayed long ago considering the stage in the construction of the new secondary schools. This issue created such a commotion that, if you will recall Mr. Speaker, in February the GSD and myself joined forces in order to communicate the message loud and clear that Opposition was and is united in our concern for the way in which the new schools project is conducted, something which I think I can safely say, we are all still monitoring closely.

Teachers had come to us separately, voicing serious grievances with regards a consultation process which was being executed in a careless, disdainful manner. As a result, the collective felt helpless, ignored, and at times, marginalised. Government responded to our grievances by issuing a statement “commending the Government” for the open and transparent process of discussion which it has already engaged in with the teaching professionals and support and administrative staff. This lack of empathy and self-criticism is definitely not conducive to delivering an education revolution worthy of its name, and I hope there is a clear change of stance that allows for proper consultation going forward on this issue. Jeopardising the future of our education system and the return on such a massive public investment for the sake of ticking the box of campaign promises is not responsible government, and both the educational professionals and the wider community understand this.

Also on education Mr. Speaker, our special needs education mums and dads have reported many concerns about the inadequate facilities currently provided to our special needs children at St. Martins School. And although I know and I am excited for the overhaul that we await, I urge government to prioritise their needs and sensitivities in the interim period, also allowing for consultation with parents and teachers who, granted, are best placed to assess the current and future needs of these children.

Mr. Speaker, I won’t dip into the subject of abortion, as the public will be very clear by now where I stand on this sensitive issue in light of the conversations going on in our community, but I think it’s important for you to know that Together Gibraltar has written to the Chief Minister and will be meeting with him in the weeks to come to discuss how this issue has been considered by his cabinet and his executive, and move forward from there.

CULTURE

Mr. Speaker, turning to the culture portfolio, and in particular the MTV Calling Festival, I made a clear case in Parliament earlier on this year about the epic fail that was the ‘worldwide MTV branding effort’ through the international media space. It was proved unequivocally, through official stats and figures, despite the noises on the other side of the House that viewing figures were nowhere near what was apparently bargained for. So Mr. Speaker, given this reality, I urge Government to get it right this year, that if we are going to remove a project of this size from our own home grown organisers who have proved to have done it so well in previous years, to at least be honest with the public about the limitations of this ‘branding potential’ and to cease projecting the show as one with a captive audience in the billions because it just isn’t so Mr. Speaker. Alternatively we could just forget about the whole MTV hype and return the project to our Gibraltarian pioneers who had the vision in the first place to grow and nurture this festival to the success that it has become! Its never too late Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, turning to our youth, I visited all the main youth centres earlier on in the year, and although some of the premises could do with a face lift here and there, most importantly, I am pleased to report that our youth workers are doing a brilliant job in stimulating and caring for our youth and I am proud of the systems they have and continue to put in place in order to maximise the potential of our young ones. One thing I must flag up however, is that in the Moorish Castle Estate youth club, there are some grave issues of health and safety with one exit of the club dramatically leading on to a main and busy road. This has me really concerned Mr. Speaker and I implore on Government to find safer alternatives as I dread to think of what could happen to a child or teenager if they were minimally careless on exiting while a car drives by. Also, the kids and teens there were begging me to have a word with the Minister because they have missed being able to use their park and football pitch for years due to building equipment being parked there. I would ask the Government to prioritise them and return to them these facilities as a matter of urgency Mr. Speaker.

JUSTICE

Mr. Speaker, in the Justice portfolio, and on the subject of Legal Aid, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister for Justice on the latest reforms and look forward to witnessing them first hand through the many constituents who have come by my office without a clue as to how to fund their cases. On their behalf, I thank him and hope the reforms as published will make a sizeable difference to their access to justice.

And on another note Mr. Speaker, where the prison service is concerned, in March of this year vacancies came out for the prison service with 8 applicants reaching the interview stages in April. Since then Mr. Speaker the prison service staff is waiting to know how many new recruits, as agreed with staff, union and management, will be employed this year and when will the start date commence. So I would ask of the Justice Minister to kindly inform the prison staff as soon as possible as to what agreements have been put in place.

GOOD PRACTICES AGENDA

As an independent MP it is also my duty to flag any indication of political bad practices and raise awareness about them to the general public. There have been several examples of these situations throughout the year, some of which are still unfolding as we speak. The Calpe House controversy saw me confront this entire House, without an ounce of support from either Government or Opposition, about the many flagrant inconsistencies surrounding the purchase of the new Calpe House property in London. Instead of heeding mine –and others’- concerns in the light of the substantial abnormalities surrounding the purchase, I was subjected to yet another exercise of manipulation and demagoguery of the kind we are only too used to in this House. For flagging and investigating these signs of bad practices, I was accused of trying to destroy one of Gibraltar ́s most important charities. Yet again we find our very own brand of perverse political meta-language at work. People must know –and must not be manipulated into thinking otherwise- that public inquiry, political checks and balances, or any form of lawful and well-intentioned attempts to audit and scrutinise public institutions should always be welcomed and encouraged.

It is the rot that plagues institutions in the absence of this scrutiny that threatens not only to destroy people ́s faith in that particular institution, but also their belief in the entire system. This, Honourable members of Parliament, is what we now call disenfranchisement, and it is a global phenomenon that threatens the most essential social consensuses of our societies. Demagoguery, hypocrisy, party political Manicheism, plain and simple dishonesty... all these expressions of disingenuity are a grave threat to our social contract. In the age of information any attempt to engage with the general public that is not honest and transparent is simply irresponsible, yet attempts to crush all forms of dissidence are commonplace in this House.

Mr. Speaker I have led on issues of morality in financial services which affects professionals on both sides of the House and outside it, because Gibraltar HAS to show that we are at the forefront of good practices and compliance moving forward and I will not hesitate to speak out whenever I feel our international reputation is at stake.

In “Democracy in America”, Alexis de Toqueville stated that “The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.” Fortunately, change is happening. Today, many in our community have understood their responsibility and are executing functions of the highest quality. The future of our democracy has never looked healthier.

In light of my interpretation of the budget in broad terms, I voice my criticisms today unequivocally. However, I will be voting in favour of the budget. The GSD Opposition were opportunistic last year and opportunistic again this year. When we vote in the appropriation bill, we vote to maintain and fund our essential services. I may have all the reservations in the world, but I cannot vote with the cynicism of the GSD Opposition, who seem to want to strip back spending and cause political mischief on the way.

Further Mr. Speaker, let me just say that responsible governance is not austerity. It is investing in the most vulnerable. I cannot vote alongside a party that appears to offer a piecemeal alternative. Today I'm voting in favour of the appropriation bill, while also offering an authentic alternative. A progressive one, Mr Speaker, not a regressive one.

Mr Speaker, it is 5 years to the day today that I first stood for a position in political office in a by election alongside the honourable gentleman across the floor. I have learned many things. Most of all I have learned that politics can be, and often is terrible. The antagonism...the interests...the unaccountability. But the fact that politics is terrible is exactly why we need to change it.

It is common to analyse modern political history in broad economic phases. Post-war social democracy recovered nations ruined by war and created the strong middle class by public investment. But crises of stagnation gave rise to neo-liberalism, with Reaganites and Thatcherites filling the mainstream narrative of financial independence and rampant individualism. This got us as far as the 2008 crash, teaching us that promoting greed also promotes desperate inequality.

Today we sit on the brink of a new phase. Waiting for a new narrative. A post-neoliberal narrative. One that is honest with the successes and shortcomings of globalisation. One that is sober about the link between finance and politics. One that is indignant at the disunity caused by inequality. A new politics appears to be universally desired, whether in Europe or America.

The only way to climb above the precipice is to be bold. We must embrace a democratic resurgence. We must welcome the new generation of voters with an analysis that reflects their concerns. Housing, employment, rights. If we fail to do this, our democracy will be caught in political stagnation. If we succeed, we will begin to usher in a new Gibraltar. A progressive vision that is representative of the people, not the elites.

Yes, we are proudly diverse. But look around you in this House. Have we done enough to enfranchise Members of our community who might not be lawyers...who might not be white...who might not be male...who might not be financially comfortable? No. No. No. And no, Mr Speaker.

As unstable as global politics currently is, it has challenged our perceptions of apathy. It has challenged the infallibility of the status quo. It has even challenged how we see politics at its core.

Politics can be frustrating. It can be terrible. But if it was not terrible, I wouldn’t spend my time here trying to offer a new path. Our people are clamouring for it. They are the new path. Politics is currently terrible because it is tired. It has not represented the people in any deep way for a long time now. It is terrible because it is the establishment. It is not us. It is not we, the people. It is them, the elite, them the barristocracy, them the men. When politics is we the people, it is progressive. It is moving forward with a bold march into the future. Unafraid of fighting corruption, unafraid of tackling the housing crisis, unafraid of a Gibraltar fit for the interests of the people.

It doesn’t start here, Mr Speaker. It starts out there. And out there more and more people want a new vision. Out there more and more people are wanting to see a democratic resurgence. Out there, we are seeing the beginning of a change that will give Gibraltar progress in here, and in turn will progress Gibraltar out there.

The times they are a-changing, Mr. Speaker. Time for change, as the members opposite promised in 2011. More importantly, the people now know that change is possible. We used to hope for change, but now we know we can make change. It is time to come together, and offer our people a new deal for a 21st century Gibraltar.

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