Nov 07 - Isola “Has A Very Short Memory” Says GSD
The GSD says it notes the statement made by Minister Isola yesterday in which he claimed that the GSD Opposition “puts the party before the interests of this community.”
The GSD Opposition says it would like to remind Mr. Isola that he now forms part of a party “that spent 16 years in opposition criticising everything that the then GSD Government did.”
The GSD argues that the GSLP/Liberals, when in opposition, “had no compunction in taking such criticisms to Spain: as was the case with the allegations of abuse made by Ms Hernandez, with Mr. Bossano appearing on the Spanish TV programme ‘Espejo Publico’.”
As a consequence of this, says the Opposition, the Dr Giraldi Home was maligned on Spanish National TV and described as “the House of Horrors”. That was the type of opposition that did Gibraltar down, says the GSD adding that the GSLP/Liberals “had no compunction in placing party before country when they went from ‘Vote Yes’ to ‘Vote No’ to ‘Maybe’ in the referendum on the New Constitution.”
Then again, argues the GSD, Mr Isola “appeared to have very little appetite for politics given his short stint in opposition from 1996 to 2000 and only decided to return to politics when he knew that he would enter Government as a Minister.”
The GSD says that the issues it has been focusing on this week may be considered to be unimportant by Mr Isola, but they happen to be very important to many ordinary people in our community.
A statement from the party continued: “Thousands of people do not want to see Europa Stadium destroying one of the last open spaces in Gibraltar and are rightly concerned that all the evidence points to the fact that his Government is intent on going ahead regardless. They certainly do not wish for such a destructive project to be subsidised by their hard-won taxes or savings.
“The disabled, the elderly and parents with young children too are, rightly, concerned with the poor accessibility of our buses. This may be something that does not affect Mr Isola when he is being chauffeured around in a Government owned limousine: but this is an issue that affects many of our community and affects those with mobility problems the hardest.
“Mr. Isola may not be concerned that the rule of law in BGTW does not appear to rule anymore and that Spanish Fishermen continue to fish with illegal nets with impunity but many do, particularly when his party was elected on a “no net-fishing ticket” and despite a manifesto pledge to stop illegal fishing immediately.
“Finally, Mr Isola may see nothing wrong in the outrageous behaviour of his leader in relation to the GBC Viewpoint programme last week: but it remains an indelible stain on the GSLP’s democratic credentials.
“The GSD Opposition has, on numerous occasions, offered to work with Government on a range of issues and has congratulated the Government where it believes this to be justified and we will continue to do so but it will not partake in the kind of opposition that the GSLP-Liberals were so famous for during the 16 years they were in Opposition.”
