Below follows the Budget address delivered by Gilbert Licudi:

Mr Speaker,

We will have elections later this year. 

We have heard other members say during this debate that we are subject to the electorate and that it may be last budget for any of us.

We have also heard the honourable lady Ms Hassan Nahon say that this was her last budget speech

Like the honourable lady, this will be my last budget address to this House. 

I have informed the leader of my party and the chairman of our executive committee that I will not be putting my name forward for selection as a candidate for the GSLP at the next elections. 

I will, therefore, no longer be a member of Parliament once this House is dissolved.

I was first elected to this House in 2007. 

After four years in the Opposition benches, we were elected into Government, a Government in which I served for almost nine years. 

In August 2020, I stood down from the Government for reasons which I explained at the time.

It is often said by those in the position I am in that it has been a privilege and an honour to serve as a member of the Government.

It sounds like a cliche but I certainly understand why that is said and how true that statement is. 

It has been an honour to have been the elected representative of the people of Gibraltar for four successive terms of office.

In the last two terms – in 2015 and 2019 - the electorate clearly considered that the Government was doing a good job for Gibraltar or a sufficiently good job for Gibraltar and that it deserved to continue to enjoy its support.

It has also been a privilege to have held the position of minister in a Government that was not afraid to break new ground, 

was not afraid to bring in initiatives designed to improve the lives of all Gibraltarians and, most importantly, 

was not only not afraid but steadfastly committed to remain true to the fundamentals of what it means to be a Gibraltarian, in control of our own destiny, protecting and defending our values and beliefs.

It has been particularly a privilege to have had the opportunity of being part of a Cabinet which has at all times acted for the collective good of Gibraltar.

I will never forget the sense of responsibility I felt every Monday at Cabinet where all important decisions were taken.

The responsibility of spending public funds wisely.

The responsibility of deciding on projects which would bring housing opportunities to young Gibraltarians and also to those not so young.

The responsibility of deciding on projects which would produce new leisure facilities for all to enjoy.

The responsibility of deciding on projects which would enhance educational and training opportunities.

Projects which would transform completely almost all educational facilities in Gibraltar.

I am immensely proud of the record of this Government since 2011.

I am humbled by the knowledge that I have been able to contribute in some small measure during almost nine years to that record.

In 2011, I was given responsibility for financial services, gaming, education and justice.

As minister for financial services I would travel to conferences, meetings and events outside Gibraltar. 

Despite the criticism by members opposite on travel by members of the Government, the only way of getting our message out there was and continues to be to be present at those international conferences, meetings and events.

Talking to people and making sure they understand what it is that we have to offer.

I recall during that first term in office whenever I spoke in those international events to professionals who were involved in structuring financial services products for their clients, I was consistently met with the phrase: “Gibraltar does not figure in the list of territories which we consider for our clients”.

We set out to change that view and have done so successfully.

No-one now takes the view that Gibraltar is a small territory in the Mediterranean which is either unknown or not relevant in the international financial services industry.

We are now at the forefront of that international business and leaders in various sectors including, as the Honourable Mr Isola mentioned, in insurance.

We are leaders and have been for a long time in the gaming industry.

Am industry which was and continues to be an important contributor to the Gibraltar economy and for the creation of jobs

As Mr Isola confirmed - over three thousand jobs in the sector and 11 new B2B licences issued only in the last year.

None of that happens by accident.

It is down to the indefatigable work of my colleagues in Government and the numerous officials who make that work possible

One of my first tasks as minister for justice was to inaugurate the new court buildings. 

All relevant dignitaries were invited, including the previous minister for justice, the honourable Daniel Feetham – as he will well remember-  and the opening was done with all the pomp and ceremony which the occasion required.

It was an important moment for the legal profession, for the judiciary and for court users.

Outdated facilities which were no longer fit for purpose had been completely transformed into modern courtrooms and offices.

Every time that I use those facilities as a practitioner, I recall what they used to be and how things changed with the new court buildings.

They are by all accounts excellent facilities.

The opening of the new court buildings was done by the Chief Minister and I in 2012.

At the time, I did not acknowledge or perhaps sufficiently give credit to the fact that this was a project which had been conceptualised and carried into practice by the previous administration.

In particular, it was the honourable Mr Feetham who led on the project.

I want to acknowledge that now, albeit belatedly.

We are still, 11 years on, enjoying the fruits of that work.

But Mr Speaker, our work in those first few years of Government did not, of course, simply amount to putting finishing touches on projects started by the GSD - far from it.

In fact there were very few finishing touches to make because there were very few such projects by the previous administration.

Instead, we set to work on a programme which was ambitious and transformative.

So much so that it was said that our manifesto could not be delivered or could not be paid for.

We were able to prove the doubters wrong.

An important part of what we set out to do was in the field of education.

As minister for education, it fell to me to lead on the delivery of that part of our manifesto.

Amongst the improvements made straight away was a substantial increase in the complement of teachers and the provision of mandatory scholarships for postgraduate studies.

We also started the process of rebuilding our schools - a process which continues to this day with the new Governor’s Meadow Lower Primary School and Bishop’s Fitzgerald Upper Primary School being finalised and set to welcome students this year. 

There will also be a new St Mary’s through a private/public sector partnership.

The Minister for Education, the honourable John Cortes, gave details of further school projects in the pipeline.

But these are not just wishes for the future.

We have seen the work that has already been done and what has been delivered by this Government.

During this Government’s time in office, we have seen new Bayside and Westside schools, a new St Martin’s school, new St Anne’s and Notre Dame schools, new St Bernard’s Lower and Upper Primary schools and, as I mentioned, we now have new Governor’s Meadow, Bishop Fitzgerald and St Mary’s.

All of that in just 12 years.

These have not just been the refurbishment of the old schools but complete rebuilds with modern and excellent facilities provided including facilities which none of these schools had previously. 

This is particularly significant in the case of St Martin’s, as the Minister for Education has pointed out. 

Other schools, such as St Paul’s, have been upgraded. 

No-one can dispute or doubt the benefit that this has brought and will continue to bring to education in Gibraltar.

It was something which was completely necessary. 

It followed almost 16 years of underinvestment in and almost abandonment of our educational facilities by the GSD administration.

This was particularly obvious in the case of St Bernard’s First School and Sacred Heart Middle School.

I recall visiting St Bernard’s as one of my first tasks and seeing the deplorable condition of that school.

That is why we gave priority to these schools and we were able to provide within our first term in office new facilities at the site of the old St Bernard’s hospital. 

That was a challenging project as we were constrained by the existing buildings but the designers were able to bring those buildings to life, preserving the old character but creating two vibrant schools with facilities which neither school had been able to enjoy in their previous premises.

This set the bar very high for future school projects.

It has been a high standard which the Government has been able to maintain.

One other educational project which we embarked on early in the life of this administration and which I cannot avoid mentioning in this my last budget speech was, of course, the University of Gibraltar.

We said in our 2011 manifesto: “The University of Gibraltar will commence operations within 4 years”.

We were true to our word.

That is exactly what happened with the University opening its doors to students in September 2015.

No-one who has visited the University can avoid marvelling at the beauty of the facilities - again combining the character of the old with the utility and magnificence of the new.

But this is much more than a beautiful building.

The Minister for Education gave a detailed account of the University’s offering to education and its important contribution to our economy.

The University provides an educational offering for both local and international students which has been developing and expanding since the University first started operating.

Professional development courses, nursing studies, a school of education, a maritime academy, marine science, PHD programmes, studies in environmental science and climate change, masters of business administration, a centre for research into responsible gambling.

These are just part of the current offering of this still very young  University of Gibraltar.

I was very pleased to hear from the Minister that there will be three new degrees offered this year and more next year.

That is excellent news.

The University has also hosted and arranged a number of high level international conferences contributing to research and learning in a number of important areas.

In addition, there is the bespoke student accommodation as well as the restaurant and student catering facilities which form part of the Europa Point campus.

We must also not forget the important use of the University’s facilities to the Covid response in Gibraltar with thousands of PCR tests processed at the University’s laboratory.

It is a University of which I am immensely proud to have been involved in its creation and development.

I will be eternally grateful to the University for recognising my contribution to the University with the award in December 2020 of an honorary doctorate.

The development and success of the University in such a short space of time is spectacular.

I always knew that the University would do well.

What I did not know was that the University would do so well, so soon.

The University has achieved global recognition and accreditation by the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. 

That is no mean feat and is a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of all of those that manage and work in the University.

It is a delight to see how they all work as a team and the fruits that that approach is bringing.

I want to acknowledge and thank all the staff, led very ably by the vice chancellor, Catherine Bachleda, as well as members of the Board of Governors, chaired by Albert Langston, and the Academic Board. 

And we must not forget that what a great honour it is for our University to have Sir Lindsay Hoyle as its Chancellor. 

I also want to pay tribute to the work done by Professor David Abulafia as a member of the Academic Board and as a Beacon Professor of the University. 

Professor Abulafia is Professor of Mediterranean History at the University of Cambridge.

In June 2023, last month, Professor Abulafia was awarded the CBE in the King’s birthday honours for his exceptional service to scholarship.

I wish to echo the congratulations offered to Professor Abulafia by the vice chancellor Catherine Bachleda who said:

“We are immensely proud of Professor Abulafia’s exceptional accomplishments and the global recognition he has garnered due to his dedication to scholarship and the pursuit of knowledge. This prestigious honour is a testament to his exceptional contributions to Mediterranean history and the invaluable impact he has had on the field.”

Well done indeed

It is truly great to have people like Professor Abulafia, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, John White and others associated with our University.

One other project which I had the privilege to lead on was the small boats marina.

This was not just a facility for boat owners - it was conceived as much more than that.

This was to be of benefit to the whole community and that is exactly what it has turned out to be.

The promenade is used by numerous walkers and joggers or those who simply want to enjoy our waterfront.

The wharf provides a facility for fishing.

It also, importantly, allows us to welcome super yachts for overnight stays - something which was not possible before we built the marina.

For many years we had waiting lists for berths building up.

It was clear that hundreds of people wanted to but were unable to fully enjoy that which almost surrounds us - our waters.

The small boats marina changed that.

We were able to allocate 700 new berths.

That does not just mean 700 people being able to enjoy the facilities and the sea.

It is 700 families that can do so.

It is always a pleasure to see the marina being put to such good use by so many people.

I promised at the time that we opened the Small Boats marina, that members would have a service yard in order to haul out boats and carry out repairs and maintenance.

It has taken longer than I expected but I am very glad to see that the service yard is now complete and has been handed over to Mid Harbour Small Boats Marina Association with the necessary licence signed.

I know that this will be put to good use and look forward to seeing the first boats being hauled out at the new facility very soon.

Mr Speaker, I could go on and speak about the many other areas I have been involved in – tourism, the port, commercial aviation and others.

Much has been done and continues to be done in these areas.

I do want to say that in all the departments I have been involved in, I have been surrounded by excellent professionals whose work I really appreciate and value and without whom we would not be able to get on with the business of Government.

A big thank you to all of them.

I do not want to end without making some passing comments on some of the things we have heard from members opposite.

The leader of the opposition in his address in this debate described the Chief Minister as a magician.

Quite apposite on one view.

A magician brings a rabbit out of a hat.

This Government has consistently and despite the predictions of doom by members opposite brought many rabbits out of the economic hat.

But unlike a magician there is no slight of hand

There is no illusion here

There is nothing fake about the state of our economy

The results are there for all to see.

There is nothing illusory about our schools

We can see them

We can feel them

We can study in them

We can work in them

We can measure the benefits that they bring to all in our community - not least to our children and those who work in education

The affordable housing schemes

Hassans Centenary Terraces and the others that preceded that development over the last decade

They are real

They provide housing opportunities to those that need them.

The same goes for everything that we see around Gibraltar which was not there in 2011.

No matter how forceful the efforts of members opposite to denigrate everything that this Government has done, we have seen tangible progress like never before.

And although it is true that I am no longer in Government, I am nevertheless very proud to have been a part of the Government for almost nine years and to continue to sit on this side of the House

We’ve heard the same story from members opposite in all budget speeches since 2012

They say “It’s all exaggerated - it’s not realistic - none of it is true”

And every single year they have been proved wrong

They can be forgiven for being wrong in the odd year or a couple of years - but every single year?

That suggests that there is something seriously wrong with their analysis

Or that they just don’t get it.

Referring to the new schools that will be opened this year, the Honourable Edwin Reyes said that he hopes the new buildings conform to the highest levels of standard

 

He does not need to hope for the highest possible levels of standards.

All he has to do is look at the Government’s track record in this regard.

Most Local Education Authorities, headmasters and headmistresses in the UK and, for that matter, elsewhere in the world, would tear their hair out in order to have the sort of facilities we have created in Gibraltar.

Mr Reyes says that concerns have been expressed about congestion in the Europort area once the new Governor’s Meadow and Bishop Fitzgerald open.

Let’s take that as an attempt at constructive criticism.

Constructive criticism would offer a solution to a potential problem that is identified.

So what was his suggestion?

None was forthcoming.

Is he suggesting that cars should be banned form the area?

Or that parents be banned from dropping off children.

In fact, has the honourable member forgotten that that is where Governor’s Meadow and Bishop Fitzgerald were before they were temporarily relocated.

They are simply going back to where they were before.

Is he not aware that many if not most children that go to those schools live in Montague Gardens, Montagu Crescent, Harbour Views, Sir William Jackson Grove and other developments in the area?

This means that most children will walk to school – that is a good thing.

In any event, does the honourable member not appreciate that by bringing the schools back the congestion that exists in the northern area of Gibraltar will actually be alleviated

We have more housing in the northern district.

More developments on the way.

We have all the traffic that comes in through the frontier which now uses Devil’s Tower Road.

There are clear benefits from a traffic management point of view in the move of Governor’s Meadow and Bishop Fitzgerald back to the Europort area.

What was missing from the Honourable Member’s speech was an acknowledgement of what the Government has achieved in Education.

He, of all people, as an experienced educationalist knows how important those achievements are.

A “well done” or some form of recognition of the work done would not have gone amiss.

But it seems that those are words which do not form part of the vocabulary of members opposite – or at least of most members opposite.

It does them little credit.

Instead, what we get is the same criticism we hear every year regardless of what the Government does.

But there is in reality nothing constructive or forward-looking in what they tell us.

They didn’t tell us what they would do in Government or what they would have done differently.

This was touched upon by the Honourable Albert Isola

The Opposition had a golden opportunity to illuminate us all.

To tell us what they would be doing in this financial year.

To tell us how they would change or depart from the estimates that are before the House today.

Or even to tell us what they would have done differently in the last financial year and how that would have made a difference

It’s all very well to say the Government are doing it all wrong - or not doing enough.

What would they have done?

What will they do if elected into Government?

It is extraordinary that they have the chance to set out a programme for Government based on the finances as they stand today and they fail to do that

There was nothing - absolutely nothing in what the leader of the opposition said - which would enlighten us as to how they would use the funds that are available - the estimates that are set out in the book we are debating.

What they tell us is that the estimates are unrealistic.

They tell us that the figures given on the public finances are simply not true.

That things are worse - far worse that what the figures reflect.

So what are they going to do about it?

The Chief Minister already alluded to this

They are going to have to make cuts to services aren’t they?

And any suggestion to the contrary is disingenuous

And it would be taking the electorate for a ride 

They cannot say that things are terrible on the economic front - the estimates are unrealistic - but we are not going to make any cuts

It is not credible

It is time for them to be honest

Tell us what they would cut

Would they cut the health budget?

If so, which parts?

Will they cut education?

Will the number of scholarships be reduced?

Or social services?

Is there going to be reigning back on domiciliary care?

The Honourable Mr Isola addressed the allegation by members opposite that the Government was gambling with people’s money

And asked - where is it that they would not have spent?

I am now asking - where is it that they will not spend in the next financial year if they do not believe that the figures in the estimates reflect the economic reality of where we are today in Gibraltar.

Or is it that no cutbacks will be necessary

Is it that they are going to be bringing in additional public revenue which will mean that there will be plenty of money in the kitty for all the spending commitments which they will make?

What are they proposing to do if elected into Government?

I don’t know.

No-one knows

They won’t tell us

The only conclusion we can draw is that they themselves do not know.

After not having been able to delight us with the delivery of his speech last year, we were once again treated by the honourable Sir Joe Bossano to a brilliant analysis on the state of the economy in Gibraltar as well as the position in global markets.

Sir Joe’s analysis included references to areas where he himself had concerns – including on the lack of effective substantive progress internationally on the environment

It was by all measures a knowledgeable and honest exposition by Sir Joe

That came as no surprise – it is what we have become accustomed to by the father of the House.

Sir Joe started his contribution by noting that last year the Honourable Mr Clinton gave a speech which disregarded completely Sir Joe’s analysis.

Mr Clinton has done the same this year.

He has delivered a prepared speech with the same scaremongering tone without apparently having listened to or even being interested on what the true position is.

It is again something which we have become accustomed to.

Even it though it was expected – it was nevertheless disappointing.

It was disappointing to have the person who aspires later this year to lead Gibraltar on economic matters failing to make a proper, well-informed analysis.

Instead, we just got the usual political speech. 

It is not just disappointing – it is worrying.

Mr Clinton said – I’m not an economist – I’m just interested in cash

That is the simplistic and hollow approach which the honourable member takes

And based on that he expects us to believe that he is ready to take on Gibraltar’s economic reins

 

 

That is a matter which the electorate might want to reflect on.

Sir Joe invited the Opposition to identify areas of waste which they suggested existed so that those areas could be looked at.

That was a constructive suggestion by Sir Joe

Tell us where you think we can do better and we will look at that.

The responsible response to Sir Joe’s invitation by an opposition aspiring to become the Government would have been to go through the book and suggest areas where the expenditure, according to the Opposition, was not necessary or where savings could be made to cut down on what they regard as waste.

Instead, Mr Clinton said that they can’t identify waste because they don’t have the Principal Auditor’s report

 

That’s a poor excuse

 

They know exactly where the money is being spent

 

It’s all there

 

It’s in the book

 

It doesn’t stop them saying that there is over-expenditure

 

They don’t need the Principal Auditor’s Report for that

We will eliminate over-expenditure – they say

 

It’s not sustainable

 

Expenditure is out of control and unstable

 

Those are Mr Clinton’s words

 

But he adds: we don’t know if there is any waste which can be eliminated in order to reduce the over-expenditure

 

Therefore the only way they can say for certain that they will reduce expenditure is by cutting services

 

They don’t tell us which services they will cut

 

But we know for certain that that is what they intend do

 

That is the only logical conclusion from what they tell us

Mr Clinton tells us he is not an economist

 

But pretends that he, and only he, is the person who will be able to

 

Reduce debt

 

Reduce expenditure

 

But without cuts 

 

And everyone will be better off

 

It’s just not credible

 

Any you don’t have to be an economist to figure that out 

We did get an inkling of one thing they would do

 

Mr Clinton said that maybe an increased burden on personal taxation is the new reality or words to that effect

 

And he added that any increases in taxation have to be properly debated

 

So there we have it

 

A thinly disguised confirmation of tax increases under the GSD

 

The new reality according to Mr Clinton

Mr Clinton went on to describe the book – the estimates of revenue and expenditure for next year as a waste of paper

 

Those were his words

 

A waste of paper

 

That is a measure of the lack of respect he has for those that help to put the book together

 

Starting from the financial secretary

 

And all the heads of department and other public officials who spend countless hours in reconciling departmental expenditure

 

In looking at what the expenditure has been for the year so that an accurate forecast outturn can be given

 

In meetings and speaking to others in their departments to put together a realistic estimate of expenditure for the forthcoming year

 

And all of that work

 

And believe me – it is hard work

 

I’ve seen it 

 

I’ve lived it  

 

It is the work of loyal civil servants who ultimately work for the community

 

To provide a valuable public service

 

And all the work that is put by them into producing proper estimates of revenue and expenditure so that it can be debated in this House

 

All of that is described by Mr Clinton as a waste of paper

 

How low can you get in attempting to criticize the Government

 

Being utterly disrespectful of civil servants

 

Mr Clinton should apologise for his disparaging comment

Ultimately, it will be a matter for the electorate to judge.

It is a matter for the electorate to contrast a full and complete analysis by Sir Joe and financial forecasts prepared by professionals which show that there is, once again, a bright light at the end of this economic tunnel we have been in

With the baseless criticism we get from members opposite

With the lack of detail and substance in their contributions  

And which simply lead the electorate to wonder what it is that they actually stand for 

I am not sure that they themselves know

We are certainly none the wiser after having heard from the entirety of those on the opposition benches

We had a detailed analysis by the honourable Mr Daryanani of the marketing initiatives taken by his department in the last financial years.

It was, by all accounts, an impressive list and shows the depth and breadth of events attended

Events in Fort Lauderdale, Italy, Morocco, UK, Spain and elsewhere.

The tourism, cruising and aviation industries targeted 

It shows that no stone is being left unturned to bring Gibraltar back, in tourism terms, to pre-pandemic levels and to continue growth thereafter.

I have done that job and I know how difficult it is.

I therefore applaud and appreciate the efforts that the minister and his officials are making

What I know for sure is that in that area we do nothing that attracts tourists

that attracts cruise ships

that attracts airlines

By sitting back and not showing our faces and not extolling internationally the virtues and benefits which Gibraltar has to offer 

That is exactly what the minister and those who work with him are doing as the minister’s contribution clearly shows

The honourable Mr Bossino criticizes travel expenditure so presumably he would have cut and will cut tourism marketing initiatives?

What are they?

Why does he believe that he would have been more successful that this Government and this minister has been?

It lacks credibility when we have criticism from member opposite with nothing constructive offered

The honourable Mr Bossino referred to what he described as the minister’s less than satisfactory performance over the last four years

He said the numbers are better despite the minister

So what accounts for the better numbers?

The honourable member?

Is it a pure accident?

Or are the better numbers the result of efforts made by the minister and his department in marketing Gibraltar and in attracting people back to Gibraltar

Mr Bossino said we need a strategy which recognizes that tourism is fundamental to Gibraltar

He went on to state that he would improve entry points

Is that their strategy?

Is that the sum of the ideas which the GSD have in order to recognize that tourism is fundamental to our economy

A paint job to our entry points?

We will introduce a revolution in tourism he said

Pure political rhetoric

Nothing concrete

Nothing specific

Just criticism for the sake of criticism and not the slightest recognition when things are done well

Oh he did suggest something which he would do

He would go to FITUR and not to Seatrade Global in Fort Lauderdale

That is a matter of choice

I chose when I was minister for Tourism to go to FITUR

But I also chose as minister for the port and maritime affairs to go to Seatrade Global

The honourable member would make a grave mistake if he ever had the chance to decide, and he chose not to attend Seatrade Global

That is a must-attend event

All the important players in the maritime world and in the cruising industry are there

Our competitors are there

Gibraltar has to be there

But the honourable member with his criticism of travel and the innuendo by referring the minister as globetrotting seems to think that the better strategy is not to attend these events

He is wrong

We have to market Gibraltar internationally

That is what the marketing budget which we pass in this House every year is there for

Does the honourable member know what the marketing budget for the last year was?

We are here to debate the estimates – the book – and the honourable member made not a single mention – as far as I can recall – to the book

Let me tell him that last year this House approved a marketing budget for the tourism department of £700,000

It’s there, in the book – page 148

Does the honourable member know how much of that has been spent?

The forecast outturn for the past year is £320,000

£380,000 less than the budget that this House approved

So when the honourable member describes the minister as having had a less than satisfactory performance presumably he is saying that he hasn’t done enough

He hasn’t travelled enough

He hasn’t marketed enough

He should have spent £380,000 more in marketing

But no – on the contrary – the honourable member says that the minister has travelled too much

He has gone to too many places to market and sell Gibraltar

He should have saved some money on this

In effect, we have the opposition saying that money is wasted on this.

Sir Joe invited Mr Clinton to identify waste

Mr Clinton said he couldn’t because he didn’t have the Principal Auditor’s report

Mr Clinton does not need the Principal Auditor’s report.

He has Mr Bossino

Mr Bossino can tell him that the minister has spent too much on marketing

Scrap the marketing 

Save £320,000

People will flock to Gibraltar regardless

This is not serious politics

It is bad enough to offer no meaningful alternative, it is far worse to make comments which are damaging to Gibraltar.

Mr Bossino referred to a particular cruise company by name which he said he had heard was leaving Gibraltar.

Based on rumour 

Based on innuendo

I have heard – he says

I can say that I have heard that pigs fly – but it’s not true

And what he said is not true.

What the honourable member does not realize by repeating these false rumours is the damage he does.

Others may say – look at what was said in Parliament – 

A major cruise company is leaving 

What’s wrong with Gibraltar?

When it’s not actually true

That company already has confirmed visits for next year.

The honourable member did not even say I have heard that a cruise company might be leaving

He mentions the company itself

The most worrying part is that the honourable member does not seem to care about damaging Gibraltar

All is fair game in politics for them

Well it shouldn’t be 

We’ve seen that before from members opposite in other areas where they make potentially damaging comments

Now we have it from Mr Bossino

He is happy to repeat – in this Parliament – without checking his facts – a rumour he has heard which happens to be untrue and to name the company concerned

And he is happy to do so even if it causes damage to Gibraltar

Again, let the electorate take note.

Mr Phillips started and continued with what can only be described as a rant

His contribution was so baseless – so out of touch with reality – that it is not even worthy of comment

He even complained of having to be here in the afternoons

We are on summer hours he said

What an extraordinary statement from a member of the opposition

The honourable member sounded like a bull in a china shop

Destroying everything in his path – the good and the bad - indiscriminately

Everything is bad

Everything is disastrous

According to Mr Phillips

I was wondering during his speech whether we live in the same place

We will get Brexit done he proclaimed

One would have thought the honourable member would be a little more original

Presumably what he meant was he would get the post-Brexit deal done

Really?

How?

What is it that he would do that the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and their teams have not done

What we have seen from the Government side is the protection of Gibraltar on fundamental matters

What areas would he give in on in order to get the deal done?

That must be the implication in what he said

They would give concessions

Or is it that he has negotiating powers that nobody else in Gibraltar has and that he would convince everyone in those negotiations to accept what he says

The electorate is entitled to know how they would get the deal done – which is the categorical statement made by the honourable member – and what concessions they would make

And then he went on to say that the Government has struggled to control waste

Wasn’t he here when Sir Joe asked about this?

What waste is he talking about?

Mr Clinton said he didn’t know

He said he can’t tell us

Well now Mr Clinton can not only ask Mr Bosssino about waste he can also ask Mr Phillips

Perhaps next year when they are still sitting on those benches they can tell us

I very much doubt that the honourable member himself believes what he was saying

It is clear that the Opposition does not believe what he said

He talked about selling Gibraltar on financial services

But our product is not good

It’s all terrible

And then – two minutes later - Mr Feetham congratulates Mr Isola for the excellent work - for the fabulous work - which is being done in financial services and gaming

How’s that for a complete answer to Mr Phillips’s criticism

Mr Feetham said a little bit more than just congratulate Mr Isola

But we had a totally different tone by Mr Feetham

It sounded very much like a goodbye statement

Reflecting on his time in office – as I have done

Recognising the work done by the honourable Samantha Sacramento and thanking her

And then he spoilt it

He delivered the same speech again that we have heard year after year – since 2012

I didn’t hear him say anything new

Nothing at all

He rehashed exactly the same arguments he has been making since 2012 about debt, borrowing and the Gibraltar Savings Bank

He said things were done in the first term without a mandate

We’ve had two general elections since then – 2015 and 2019

And on both ocassions the electorate have deposited their trust in this Government

So both times the electorate has rejected Mr Feetham’s arguments 

Repeating the same unmeritorious arguments year after year does not make the arguments meritorious

He talked about the plans he had in 2015 which they would have implemented if elected

They weren’t

They were’nt elected in 2015 and they weren’t elected in 2019

Mr Feetham’s plans were rejected – twice

Mr Feetham said in response to Mr Isola that repeating the same thing every year shows consistency

Having rejected the GSD in 2012, in 2015 and in 2019 I expect that we will now see the GSD rejected in 2023.

That’s consistency – something Mr Feetham is very fond of.

This was, like mine, the honourable lady’s last budget speech

I want to personally acknowledge and thank her for the contribution she has made to local politics over the last eight years.

We have disagreed – many times – and I disagree with much of what she said in her contribution - but I know that her heart has been in the right place

I wish her well

But she did say some things which cannot go unchallenged – and I sure the Chief Minister will do so

I want to touch only on two points made by the honourable lady

The state of the nation is so appalling she said

And she goes on to ask

What are the benefits of this economic plan?

Who has benefitted?

Where has the money gone?

It is growth we have had in our economy over the last twelve years that has allowed this Government to invest in our community.

It is that growth that has allowed the departmental estimates including in health and social services to be increased

 

 

 

The honourable lady has been in this House for 8 years

All she has to do is to look at the book 8 years ago and compare it with the book today

That’s where the money has gone in the last 8 years

On services to this community

It is the people of Gibraltar who have benefitted from the Government’s economic plan

In 2011/2012 the departmental expenditure was £372m 

Compare that to the close to £600m forecast in the last financial year

Those are the benefits of the economic plan

That is where the money has gone

The honourable lady went on to say that there isn’t enough money spent in the public schools system

And that’s why people choose to go to private schools

There are many reasons why people might choose to go to private schools but not enough money spent in the public school system in Gibraltar is certainly not one of them

It is worth looking at the figures 

In the last 8 years that she has been in this House the Education recurrent expenditure budget has increased from £44.8m to £62.9m in the last financial year

 

An increase of 40%.

In the last 12 years that this Government has been in office the increase has been from £27.3m to £62.9m 

That’s more than double what it was in 11/12

Is there anywhere in the world where she can see comparable increases? 

She will be hard pressed to find any country that has done so

And that takes no account at all of the millions in capital expenditure in the numerous school projects which the Minister for Education and I have referred to and which are there for all to see.

No-one can possibly believe that not enough is being spent on the public school system

The complement of teachers in 2011 was 332

That was increased immediately we came in by 47.

The complement of teachers in this year’s estimates is 504

There has been a 67% increase in the number of teachers we employ since we have been in Government 

There hasn’t been a 67% increase in the number of children that go to our schools

That means more teachers per child as a result of this Government’s spending initiatives in Education

The complement of learning support assistants 2011 (or classroom aides as they then known) was 49

The complement of LSAs in this year’s book is 215

That’s more than four times as many – more than a 400% increase.

The budget for scholarships in 2011 was £5.3m 

The budget for scholarships this year is £16.4m 

That’s over three times as much

The increases in investment in education – in the public school system as the honourable lady calls it – is staggering

She asks who has benefitted?

Our children have primarily benefitted from this Government’s investment in Education

Better schools

More teachers

More learning support assistants

More resources for the schools

More scholarships

All of these have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to education  by this Government

I am proud to have been a part of that as minister for education for close to 6 years

We have heard many references in this debate to the unprecedented challenges we have faced in the last four years

We will continue to face challenges 

The continuing post-Brexit negotiations is one example on this. 

Now is not a time to take risks

Now is not the time to gamble with our future

We know what we get with a GSLP/Liberal Government

A Government whose record is clear for all to see.

All we have to do is look around us.

All we have to do is to look at the economic record over the past twelve years

I remember when I used to travel and speak to politicians from other countries

They just couldn’t believe how we delivered growth consistently in double digits

We are and have been the economic envy of countries around the world

We have heard from the Chief Minister the economic data

This is not data that is produced by the Government simply because the figures are convenient

This data is produced by officials - by professionals 

The figures do not lie.

They show that Gibraltar is in the process of an economic recovery

In less time than expected

In less time than most other countries

With a prediction of a surplus for this year when other countries are still struggling to recover and can only dream of an economic outlook such as Gibraltar’s

The facts and figures announced by CM are staggering

7.5% growth expected in our economy in 22/23

A net debt to GDP ratio lower now than in 2011

A record number of jobs in our economy

Greater number of visitor arrivals

Tourist expenditure up by over 60%

Government revenue significantly higher than predicted

That is astonishing

It shows the confidence there continues to be in Gibraltar despite the challenges we have faced and some of the continuing uncertainties.

It is no accident

It is a testament to the prudent management of the economy by the Government

And it is that prudent management of the economy that has enabled the Government to consistently fulfil its pledges

That has enabled the Government to transform Gibraltar over the last 12 years

In education, in health, in housing, on the environment, on sports and leisure facilities with truly remarkable world class facilities available in Gibraltar 

with expansion in the financial services and gaming industries

with Gibraltar continuing to be an important destination for cruise companies – for tourism generally

with the port of Gibraltar continuing to be one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean

All of that – achieved by this Government since 2011.

In 1988 the GSLP was elected into Government under the slogan “time for change”.

It is a slogan which the GSD has now adopted.

It is not time for change

It is time for Gibraltar, its economy, it political affairs to continue to be in the hands of an experienced team that have demonstrated, time and again that Gibraltar is safe when it comes to fundamentals and that we enjoy a quality of life like nowhere else in the world

That is the Gibraltar that I want to continue to live in.

I want to end by thanking you Mr Speaker and all your staff, past and present.

It has been a pleasure to come to this House regularly for the past 16 years.

I will miss it.