Apr 07 - Government: Opposition Just Criticise Everything Government Does
The Government has said that the Leader of the Opposition is “intent on trying to undermine everything that the Government does, even when it is positive for Gibraltar and for the persons directly affected.”
A statement from Number 6 continues:
“The recent comments made in response to the Chief Minister’s assertion that the GSD did nothing for certain housing estates during their time in office are a case in point.
“Mr Feetham has defended the GSD’s record by listing their achievements over a 16 year period. In that decade-and-a-half, the GSD ‘built sheds, renewed the lifts and roofs in Glacis estate and (just before the 2011 election) renewed the Laguna play park.’ This is hardly a track record to write home about after a decade and a half in office.
“The Leader of the Opposition has also accused Mr Picardo of ‘deciding to build an extra floor to those estates without consulting anybody.’ The very opposite is true. The start of the consultation process was the presentation of the project to the Development and Planning Commission in public for guidance and advice. This was followed by meetings with the tenants’ associations of the different estates. The listening process ended with the decision of the Government not to proceed with the additional floors. There were no wasted costs as the initial drawings had been prepared "in-house" by the Government. The problem is that this process of consultation was totally non-existent in the time that the GSD was in power which accounts for the fact that Mr Feetham is unable even to relate to it or to recognise its merits.
“The reality is that the Government has embarked in a plan of refurbishment and beautification of Glacis, Laguna and Moorish Castle estates, including lift-installation where possible. The Government has also moved to tackle the anti-social behaviour that existed in these estates and that the GSD had allowed to fester and which was linked to the sale of tobacco in those estates, something which exploded in their time in office. This was a problem that the Opposition allowed to grow and grow and which they did absolutely nothing to stop.
“Contrary to the leader of the Opposition’s claim, this Government is improving people’s lives in Government housing around the Rock . It is clear that Mr Feetham does not like this, as it demonstrates to him how unpopular he and his party are and are likely to remain when people realise how they were abandoned for 16 years.”
Housing Minister Paul Balban said,
"The Chief Minister was too generous in saying that the GSD had done nothing in Laguna, Glacis and Moorish Castle. In fact the GSD allowed the areas to deteriorate greatly and made things very bad indeed for tenants by their attitude of concentrating social cases in some estates and allowing huge anti-social behaviour issues to arise unhindered through the unrestricted sale of tobacco. Tenants of these estates can see this Government is keeping its promise to them and starting the process of refurbishing all other estates in Gibraltar that need it too. The removal of the tobacco business in Laguna and Glacis has changed the lives of people in those estates for the better and similar measures may now been necessary in other estates. Mr Feetham can see how highly regarded the Government's actions are by the residents and he is trying to say whatever he can to try to deflect attention from his beloved GSD's failure to act in 16 long years of neglect."
