Apr 12 - GSD AGM: Modern Adaptation Of Core Values To Provide “Change Gibraltar Seeks”
The GSD’s “modern adaptation” of its traditional core values will be the “change Gibraltar seeks” in this year's election, according to party leader Keith Azopardi.
Mr Azopardi made these comments yesterday evening at the party’s 30th anniversary AGM in the John Mackintosh Hall.
The last eight years of GSLP-Lib government, he said, had been “not a new dawn but a false dawn” and the election “cannot come soon enough!”
He chastised the government during his address, saying that it was more interested in “spin and smoke and mirrors” than the truth and called the Chief Minister a “master of spin” who had changed from being a supporter of the Withdrawal Agreement to the “poster boy” for the campaign the revoke Article 50.
Mr Azopardi rejected accusations that the party was divided by reminding members that the GSD had always been “a broad church” where disagreement was possible but where people came together to support certain “core values.”
“I don’t aspire to lead a North Korean party,” he said, adding that the GSD didn’t offer “the hollow populism of others on the political spectrum.”
The GSD leader said that it was important to keep Gibraltar’s recent political history in mind because it showed that the “GSLP leopard does not change its spots…it’s simply a new leopard.”
He accused the Chief Minister of trying to be “all things to all men all of the time” and said this was “impossible to maintain.”
Connecting the GSD’s election win in 1996 with this year’s vote, he said that the party then and now represented “the change that we seek.”
Speaking about the party’s 16 years in power, he reflected: “We sought to advance individualism and meritocracy - we fought discrimination and tried to deliver fairness, justice and equality of opportunity.”
He stressed the party’s commitment to accountability and transparency and said that, if elected, the GSD would be “prudent…and not tolerate the wastage of public money.”
ABORTION - AZOPARDI: “I WILL BE PRO-LIFE IN REFERENDUM”
Commenting on the party’s position on abortion, Mr Azopardi said the debate concerned the rights of the mother and the unborn child and that the role of the state was to protect the “weakest and most vulnerable.” He also acknowledged that the interests, rights and welfare of the mother deserved “special regard.”
“The law can’t be designed through one perspective only, or with an unfair imbalance of those competing rights,” he said.
He noted that there were differing views on the matter within his own party and that it was right to “call on the view of society” via a referendum before any abortion law change before revealing that his personal position was pro-life.
AGM - SPEECHES AND MOTIONS
The AGM was opened by Party Chairman Freddie Ballester and a series of video presentations from executive members - this then led to a short documentary specially produced to mark the party’s 30th anniversary. The clip included extensive footage of the 1996 general election campaign and interviews with Peter Montegriffo and Sir Peter Caruana. Sir Peter said the GSD “remained good for Gibraltar” and identified the party’s core values as “fairness and propriety.”
The first GSD MP to deliver a speech was Trevor Hammond who argued that eight years of GSLP rule had “done little to improve the environment.” Mr Hammond said there was a “lack of action” on renewable energy and the pace of development had spoilt Gibraltar.
Lawrence Llamas focused his contribution on mental health and drugs. Mr Llamas said there was a need to turn the current drugs strategy “on its head” and adopt a “more caring, more compassionate approach.” While not in favour of decriminalisation, Mr Llamas said the focus needed to be on education and community support. He also explored future plans for helping people who experience mental health emergencies including a “crisis team” of professionals who would visit people at home and plans for “proper aftercare.”
Shadow Minister for Education Edwin Reyes accused the Government of copying the GSD’s plans for a large co-educational establishment. He said that teachers had not been consulted in the run up to the many wide-ranging changes planned for education in Gibraltar.
He ended by arguing that there was a need for apprenticeships which would work in partnership with “local businesses, for local labour, for local needs.”
Next up was Damon Bossino who presented the first motion on housing. The motion set out the GSD’s policy that the allocation of public housing should be means tested and that priority of allocation should be given to those on low incomes or other social or medical needs.
Mr Bossino explained that Government assistance should only be directed towards those who genuinely need it. To do otherwise, he said, was to “fuel the unquenchable fire of the culture of expectation” adding that the policy was “realistic and fair.”
“Public finance is your money,” was the motto for Roy Clinton’s speech which attempted to simplify the structure of borrowing, spending and taxation that the GSLP-Libs government had built.
Mr Cinton said Gibraltar was now saddled with £1.2bn of gross debt which had in part been used to fund “vanity projects.” He said taxpayers deserved to know how their money was being spent and that public money was there “to meet your needs, not the government’s ego.” He closed by promising that a GSD administration would implement “complete transparency” regarding public finances.
The next motion, on abortion, was presented by Joelle Ladislaus (pictured above). The motion rejected the proposals in the Government’s recent Command Paper of and set out that the debate concerned the “fundamental rights of persons that should be considered and respected.” The motion also proposed that there should be a referendum on any contemplated change to the law on abortion “which seeks to go beyond what is constitutionally necessary.”
Ms Ladislaus, who said the right to life was “fundamental”, also argued that the Command Paper was an attempt to “ram through legislation” when what was needed was “full, honest” debate and consideration of all the issues.
Former leader Daniel Feetham used his address to question the Government’s socialist credentials. Mr Feetham said that the disadvantaged were being “left behind in the wake of economic progress” and criticized the current administration’s use of recruitment agencies to fill public service vacancies. He said that the Government was implementing austerity measures and privatizing the public service adding that these practices were “far-removed from socialist roots.”
The recently signed Tax Treaty between Gibraltar and Spain was criticized by Robert Vasquez. Mr Vasquez noted that the European Union Committee of the House of Lords said that the treaty was unequal and favoured Spain adding that this committee had “no axe to grind.”
His motion called for the termination of the Tax Treaty and its replacement with “an appropriate OECD Model Agreement on Double Taxation.”
Mr Vasquez argued that the Government, in negotiating and approving the treaty, had “undermined Gibraltar’s sovereignty” with an agreement that was “intrusive and harmful.” Mr Vasquez also mentioned that the treaty had not been discussed in Parliament before it was signed and that this made him doubt whether the current administration “really believe in democracy.”
A headcount showed that around 160 people attended the meeting which was open to members and non-members. However, a GSD executive member later tweeted that 220 votes had been cast for the various motions.
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