GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

economy. We have abolished tax for those on less than
£11,200 and given effect to a significant reduction in income
tax across the board.
We have delivered above inflation pay increases in the
public sector of 20.4% since elected as well as delivered
annual increases in old age pensions, and the minimum
income guarantee.
We have achieved SUSTAINABLE growth. We have achieved
RECORD low unemployment. These figures are not a flash
in the pan - they are delivered year on year, year after year.
That is our record. That is what you must judge us on now
as you look to who should have conduct of Gibraltar’s affairs
in the future.
OUR POST BREXIT ECONOMIC PLAN
But there’s more yet to do and we are the only ones with a
plan to do it. Only we have a Post Brexit Economic Plan, the
outlines of which we have detailed for you in this manifesto.
The author of the plan is Sir Joe Bossano. He is the only
person who can show he has done this before – at the time
in the 80’s when we had to reposition our economy after
the closure of the Dockyard and the reduction in the MOD
presence. He has the track record that you can trust. I have
heard so often the nonsense that Joe Bossano is too old,
that Joe should retire etc. Yet, when the chips are down,
everyone in our community looks to Sir Joe on issues of
economics. It is fitting that Her Majesty bestowed a very
well deserved Knighthood on him in the past four years.
GIBRALTAR 2030
This is the only long term plan for our nation. It is the
only manifesto that presents a clear economic plan for the
future. For the next decade or more. It is not realistic to
think we can plan longer term in a fast moving technological
environment like the one we operate in today. Our economic
plan is long term thinking. Our environmental commitments
represents a radical change from the past. We understand
that our economy needs to gravitate around the sustainable,
environmental needs of our planet and not the other way
round. That is what John Cortes and Sir Joe Bossano have
been pioneers in showing for decades. From the days
that the first GSLP administration created the Upper Rock
Nature Reserve and the Alameda Botanical Gardens, to
the decision we made - led by Sir Joe and John - to rightly
abandon the GSD’s diesel burning, disastrous power station
at the entrance to the Nature Reserve.
A NEW KIND OF POLITICS
We have worked hard to deliver for all the generations of
Gibraltarians and we remain committed to doing so. From
IVF, Savings Bank grants for newborns, Children’s PCC,
new schools, scholarships, training, apprenticeships, jobs,
affordable homes, sporting facilities, Community Care and
rental homes for the elderly and excellent elderly care
institutions, we are there for every generation – from the
cradle to the grave.
We are building a Child Friendly City, a Green Gibraltar
because we know that that is the way to protect our quality
of life for the long haul. We are making these signature
commitments to the environment, to our health, to civic and
social development because we know that people are our
single most important asset as a community.
By contrast, the GSD’s contribution to politics in the last
four years has been to vote down the salaries of thousands.
They vote down the measures that enable this community’s
health services, that pay for the education of our children,
the care of our elderly and vulnerable. They vote down the
salaries of our brave essential services. We, the GSLP Liberal
Government vote the measures through, with the support
of the independent MPs (Ms Nahon and, one year, Mr
Lawrence Llamas) despite the GSD’s opposition at Budget
time. This proves, of course, that for the GSD politics is just
a game and Gibraltar’s interests are second to their narrow,
party-political interests. It also proves that, for the GSD,
politics is all talk and no action. Gibraltar needs better than
that. Gibraltar deserves better than that. Gibraltar HAS
better than that in the GSLP Liberals.
PHASE 2 - THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITY
The GSLP Liberals have invested in the homes and offices
that make our homes and jobs. We now move on to phase
2 in the project to deliver on the GSLP Liberals’ vision
for Gibraltar. With this manifesto we begin the work of
building the best Gibraltar we can be on the foundations of
the last eight years of GSLP Liberal Government. Working
with you, we commit to working hard to ensure that we
continue to prosper as a community, steering our economy
through the many challenges we face. Developing a Green
Gibraltar to deliver a Child Friendly City. We commit to
continuing to be serious, intelligent and mature about
defending the interests of all generations of Gibraltarians,
for four more years, and beyond.
WE CAN DO THIS JOB
It has been my greatest honour and my absolute privilege to
have served my country as your Chief Minister for the last
eight years. Few can imagine the volume of work being Chief
Minister entails. This is not 9 to 5, its 24/7. Not everyone is
cut out for that. The support I have had from the ministerial
team has been unimpeachable and they have been the ones
who have continued to deliver our previous manifesto as
Joseph and I have been travelling the world on Brexit duties.
In light of all this, I believe these eight years have shown my
team can do the job of Government and I have been up to
the challenge of being Chief Minister. This is your cast iron
guarantee that we will deliver on our manifesto to create the
best Gibraltar we can be, with a long term objective in mind
- creating Green Gibraltar, the Child Friendly City.
I am often accused of (or praised for) being ambitious, driven
and single-minded.
I am all those things.
I am ambitious for our children’s future. I want them to enjoy
the fruits of the labour of those who have gone before me
and the blessed existence I believe we all, as a nation, can
deliver for them if we continue to invest wisely.
I am driven to making the GSLP Liberals’ vision, as set out in
8 ...aspire to the best Gibraltar