Jul 14 - GSD Says Chief Minister “Must Account To The Taxpayer For His Lavish Political Lifestyle”
The Opposition has said that the Government's “nervous response” to last Friday's GSD advertisement pointing out that the entertainment and travel costs include not just the Chief Minister’s but also all other Ministers and staff at No 6, is a “smokescreen for Mr Picardo’s lavish public expenditure” and the political lifestyle he has become used to since taking over the running of the Government. The GSD says that Mr Picardo “cannot hide from the fact” that public expenditure in these areas is “growing hugely” and was “massively over budget” from the amounts he predicted last year.
A statement from the GSD continues: “Mr Picardo should start by providing a public breakdown of all travel and entertainment costs attributable to him, what they relate to, who he met and who accompanied him. The reality is that it increasingly appears that Mr Picardo has a love for lavish spending and is an expensive Chief Minister for the taxpayer to maintain. And it’s not only in the area of travel and entertainment. The £4.5m in the palatial upgrade to No. 6 Convent Place, the acquisition of a £100,000 Tesla and the four Mercs, while of course keeping the Jaguar, are other expenses that should be justified to the man on the street.
“The GSD also notes the Chief Minister is becoming increasingly nervous about public scrutiny but he has to account to the people of Gibraltar at some stage even if he will not account to Parliament in matters of public finances. We look forward to his provision of a full account to the people of Gibraltar and not just a small part of the picture as he does with the expenditure of Credit Finance Company Limited.”
