Feb 26 - Government Accuses GSD Of Suffering From “Political Amnesia” On Theatre Issues
The Government has said that it is abundantly clear that the GSD are suffering from a “serious case of amnesia” across a whole range of policy areas, insisting that the GSD “simply ignore” that what they are saying now in Opposition is often incompatible with how they conducted themselves in Government.
Their latest statement on the Ince’s Hall and theatre issues is a case in point, according to a release from Number 6 yesterday evening which continues as follows:
Firstly, they have forgotten that this Government has already announced that the Queen’s Cinema site is to be developed as Gibraltar’s new National Theatre. They have forgotten that the site will become the home of the Academy of Performing Arts with studio and rehearsal rooms for Gibraltar’s talented young performers. They have forgotten that, rather than to consult those in ‘the cultural world,’ this Government has formally established a committee of local experts to advise them on this project.
They have forgotten all about the Theatre Royal, a beautiful and historic building which could have been Gibraltar’s cultural focal point but which the GSD allowed to fall into such complete disrepair that it had to be demolished. Indeed, they have forgotten that their 2000 Manifesto said, ‘We will restore and reopen the Theatre Royal. The Theatre will become, as in earlier days, a cultural centre of which our community can be proud. ... The aim will be to reconstruct the theatre’s earlier splendour as a venue for the performing arts and to host international conferences and other major events.’ Have they forgotten about this manifesto promise?
The GSD have also forgotten that the 2011 GSLP/Liberal manifesto actually said, ‘The Ince’s Hall and John Mackintosh Hall do not cater for modern theatre productions. We will therefore develop a new, modern theatre for Gibraltar.’ Unlike the GSD’s unfulfilled promise, this is a manifesto promise that is being kept.
And whilst the GSD do remember that their 2011 manifesto committed them to the development of the Ince’s Hall complex, they have conveniently forgotten that the plans they used in their manifesto were paid for by the tax payer and were therefore the property of the Government of Gibraltar and were improperly used by them as election material. They have forgotten to pay for those plans but, if they did, the extra expense would likely invalidate their election!
Finally, they have forgotten that the Gibraltar International Bank will be not housed in the Ince’s Hall theatre but in the unused ‘Cool Blues’ building which has been lying unused and empty for many years. The existing Ince’s Hall Theatre will be unaffected by the opening of the Bank but it does need to be modernised as it contains asbestos and an infestation of termites – two major problems that Mr Reyes conveniently forgot to do anything about.
The Opposition Spokesman on Culture says that ‘Culture lovers are entitled to know where the already existing facilities and groups who use this location (Ince’s Hall) will now be housed.’
Let’s hope that he remembers that they will be housed both in the new National Theatre and in a modernised Ince’s Hall Theatre.
