The GSLP/Liberals have said that Keith Azopardi's comments in yesterday evening's first leaders’ event, on their commitment to raising minimum wage in stages, were incorrect. 

A statement from the GSLP Liberals follows below:

Yesterday evening, at the first leaders’ event of the 2019 election campaign organised by GBC, in answer to a question from a member of the audience (Ms Simy Herbert) in relation to the minimum wage, Keith Azopardi QC said that the ‘commitment’ by the GSLP Liberals to raising the minimum wage to £7.50 over the next two financial years was only an ‘intention’ and not a ‘sort of legal commitment because of course no legislation had been passed for future years’, one that would only hold if the GSLP Liberals were reelected on October 17th. 

The GSLP Liberals consider it is essential to point out that Mr Azopardi, the leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats, who is a lawyer, got that completely wrong because he got the law wrong. 

Gazetted on 4 July 2019, The GSLP Liberals Government gave legal effect to the commitment to raise the minimum wage to £7.50 in stages by way of Legal Notice 133 of 2019. This was Gazetted on 4th July 2019*. 

Mr Picardo said: “This is a clear legal error by Mr Azopardi on an important issue that affects the lives of the lowest paid in our economy. It would be correct and appropriate for the leader of the GSD to make a public statement confirming that he got the law wrong and that he misrepresented a legal commitment as an intention. People need certainty on this issue. Mr Azopardi has created uncertainty on this for working people. Mr Azopardi has got this wrong and he needs to correct it as soon as possible. I invite him to do so immediately.”