THE KEY

NATIONAL DAY MESSAGE 2010

thekey — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:45:39 GMT

This year�s National day rally has particular importance because as well as asserting our identity, our nationhood and our right to self-determination, we have an opportunity to send a clear message to our neighbours that we are not intimidated by their harassment over the past twelve months.

A clear message that we will never, ever permit the Spanish flag over our homeland.

They will never, ever break down our resistance to any Spanish incursion into the sovereignty of our land. This year we want to take this opportunity, lest we forget, to remind our people of what has gone on in the past, and to inform our younger generation who may not be fully aware. Remembering our history and the many previous Spanish attempts to take us over, may serve to highlight that absolutely nothing has changed where our neighbours are concerned. The language of this so called democratic Spain may not be as aggressive as the Spanish campaign that led to the 16 year closed frontier, but even if the approach is different the aims are the same, to take Gibraltar away from us who are its real and only owners. It was the massive rejection of the proposal to transfer Gibraltar to Spain in the 1967 referendum, and the constitution that followed, which led to the frontier closure. National Day in 1992 was created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that referendum, when our people firmly and unequivocally said NO to Spain. We rejected, and the UK defended at the United Nations at the time that sovereignty was not a matter for discussion with Spain. The 1984 Brussels deal was a climb-down by the British Government because for the first time ever the UK agreed to discuss sovereignty when it had been defending the opposite view until then. The agreement was supported by the Government of the day in Gibraltar and opposed by all of us in the GSLP from the very minute it was announced. Lest we forget, it is important to note that for many years since 1991, there were others who defended and supported the Brussels Process, and we must be thankful today that this is no longer the case and that whatever political differences there may still be, we are now all united in rejecting the Brussels Process and declaring it dead and buried.

The National Day Casemates Rally is, and has always been, a political rally, sending out a political message. There were those in Gibraltar who were never happy that we should hold a political rally, perceived in Madrid as a defiant rejection of any sovereignty concessions. These people argued that the rally should not take place because it gratuitously upset and offended Spain. It will be a sad day for Gibraltar when, for fear of upsetting our neighbour we no longer behave as a free people, able to shout from our rooftops what we think of their claim to our land and what they can do with their proposals. There have been plenty of opportunities to enjoy many other activities during the week. We can eat �Calentita� on any other day of the year or at any other time on National Day, but these are no substitutes for the duty we all have to express our rejection of Spain�s claim by our attendance and participation at the Casemates Rally.

I look forward to be there with you.

Government must resolve problem with Cumberland Terraces windows says Opposition [September - 7 - 2010]

thekey — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:17:40 GMT

The Opposition continue to receive representations from purchasers about the windows at the Cumberland Terraces development. The first relate to the fact that the windows do not open fully and the second to the unacceptable manner in which the Government, as the developer, has handled the issue.

The windows at Cumberland Terraces are outward-opening, side-hung windows with an integrated restrictor which locks automatically when the window is opened. This means that it is not possible to open the window fully or to open it more than 20 centimetres. The Government owned developer has claimed that these were put in place for safety reasons and in order to prevent the window from swinging backwards and forwards and slamming shut. However, what has not been explained is why this kind of window was chosen for this development in the first place. In other buildings there are windows which open inwards, which slide side to side or which tilt and turn.

A number of purchasers have now approached the Opposition with the same complaint and it is clear that many purchasers are not happy with this situation. Moreover, to add insult to injury, many claim that they were not informed that restrictors were to be placed on the windows of their flats before these were installed. Indeed, when many purchasers went to complete their snagging list before their flat was handed over to them, the windows opened fully. The restrictors were put in place, almost behind the backs of these purchasers, between the time that they completed their snagging and the time that they took possession of their flat.

The Opposition consider that this behaviour, coming in particular when the developer is now a 100% Government-owned company, is totally unacceptable and the purchasers should have been informed in advance. There may well have been people reluctant to proceed with the purchase once they learnt of the subsequent modification to the flat through the operation of window restrictors.

The Opposition understand that some purchasers have had to resort to removing the restrictors completely given the unsatisfactory response from the Government or indeed, in some cases, the lack of a reply at all to their representations.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister with responsibility for Housing Charles Bruzon said:

�The Government have boasted that they have closely supervised the quality of construction in this project. It is therefore now entirely up to them to correct any defects and provide solutions which keep the residents happy. There are many people already complaining at the lack of adequate ventilation and who have taken the matter into their own hands. The Government must find a permanent solution to the problem.�

Toll plans are part of wider campaign against Gibraltar says Opposition [September - 2 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:50:36 GMT

The Opposition considers that the measures planned by the municipality of La Linea to raise money by charging cars that leave Gibraltar, although motivated by the fact that they are bankrupt, is part of a wider campaign orchestrated by Spanish politicians which reaches many fronts.

The point is that Gibraltar has been fed continuous propaganda of a new climate in relations with Spain when this is a far cry from what has been happening in reality. It will be recalled that the Spanish central Government proposed the designation of Gibraltar�s territorial waters as if they were Spanish in EU environmental legislation. This was accepted by the EU and is now the subject of a court case in the European courts because Spain has not yielded to the political and legal reality of our sovereignty over these waters and backed down.

This designation was followed by an increase in the number and seriousness of incursions by the Spanish navy, the Spanish Civil Guard and the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera into the territorial waters of Gibraltar. The agencies of the Spanish state then proceeded to exercise jurisdiction in the waters around Gibraltar. In this way they implemented the policy of the central Government in Madrid that Gibraltar has no waters and that all the sea around the Rock belongs to Spain. This culminated in a landing on Gibraltar soil by four armed civil guards in December.

There have also been a number of instances where Spanish military and official aircraft have violated the airspace of Gibraltar as if this belonged to them. On another matter, it will be recalled that Gibraltar was not allowed to take part in the opening ceremony of the European Athletics Championship which took place in Spain recently because of a long-standing political decree issued by the Consejo Superior de Deportes of the Spanish Government which is still in place.

The action taken by the Mayor to impose a toll on vehicles which exit Gibraltar can only be seen against this background of hostility and anti-Gibraltar measures which have already been taken by the Spanish Government in Madrid. This is not an isolated incident and it comes in a context which has not been seen for many years. This has made it easier for the Mayor to float the idea and for the Partido Popular, which indicators suggest could be the next Government of Spain, to express its full backing for La Linea. The scene has now been set for cherry picking galore whenever there is a change of Government in Madrid. The Opposition reiterate that the existing climate in cross-border relations will only be worsened by the plans for a toll and this is not good for anyone.

Opposition call for Government to adopt more flexible approach towards local hyperbaric oxygen centre [September - 1 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:49:24 GMT

The lack of support from the Government for the hyperbaric oxygen treatment centre off Devil�s Tower Road is incomprehensible. The centre was officially opened by the Deputy Chief Minister Joe Holliday in January 2008 when he expressed the hope that it would be of service to all. It is now over two years later and the GHA still refuses to refer patients there for treatment and often sends them outside Gibraltar at far greater expense.

Oxygen treatment therapy has been in use in the United Kingdom for over twenty years. It caters for a wide variety of ailments and conditions and the users of the service report dramatic symptomatic relief and/or accelerated healing. The quality of life of a large number of people who suffer from these conditions is therefore vastly improved as a result of the treatment. It has been known to benefit persons with multiple sclerosis, arthritis and fibromyalgia where patients have been known to regain quality of life, increased mobility and relief from pain. There are a number of applications for many other conditions as well.

The policy of the GHA is that patients are referred to oxygen therapy centers outside Gibraltar where the equipment used operates at above 2.5 atmospheres given that the centre in Gibraltar operates at under that level. However, the users of the service in Gibraltar are convinced of the benefits that they derive from the oxygen treatment that they receive locally which they have to pay for privately. While nobody has ever suggested that this therapy can actually cure people, the evidence from patients themselves is that it certainly makes their lives more liveable and more comfortable, that it alleviates the symptons and that it may accelerate the post-operative curative processes of the body.

Moreover, the Government would itself make a saving in the long run through what has been described as a simple, safe, effective and economical way to free pressure on the GHA in other areas like visits to GPs, prescription drugs and hospital beds.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister for Health Neil Costa said:

�The Government have confirmed that their policy is not to fund treatment in centres that operate at under 2.5 atmospheres on the basis that this is not done by the NHS. This ignores the reality of what is happening in the ground in Gibraltar as evidenced by the users of the service. I have pressed them in Parliament over the last two years to adopt a more flexible approach but sadly this has not happened and those who want the treatment locally have to pay for it from their own pockets.�

Incursions by agencies of the Spanish state must be stopped says Opposition [August - 30 - 2010]

thekey — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:17:44 GMT

The Opposition condemn the continuing incursions by the agencies of the Spanish state into the territorial waters and airspace of Gibraltar. These actions are in line with the policy of the central Government in Madrid that Gibraltar has no airspace and no waters other than those inside the Port.

The Opposition understands that there was another such incident last week involving both a helicopter and a launch from Spain�s Sevicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (SVA). A helicopter and a patrol boat belonging to that organisation were observed only metres away from Europa Point as they both made their way around Gibraltar. The close proximity to Gibraltar�s shoreline suggests that they had a point to make by moving through our waters and our airspace as if they were in Spanish territory.

The Opposition reject the Spanish claim to the territorial waters and airspace of Gibraltar and consider it imperative that any incursions be stopped once and for all. It is important to emphasise that this is not a normal situation as exists between other EU member territories, the situation here is far more serious because Spain uses these incidents to assert its claim to our waters and airspace.

The Opposition had predicted that the summer months would see an increase in the profile of the incursions given that more people use our beaches and our territorial sea for leisure purposes. It will be recalled that there was such a high-profile incident at Camp Bay not that long ago. There have been many recorded cases of Spanish Civil Guards attempting to exercise jurisdiction in our waters by chasing or stopping boat owners and asking them for their papers. There have also been cases of Spanish Civil Guards playing cat and mouse with the Royal Gibraltar Police making use of their larger and superior vessels.

It will be recalled that during last year�s budget debate, the Chief Minister declared that he intended to put an end to the incursions in so far as this affected the competences for which the Gibraltar Government was responsible. While the UK was responsible for sovereignty and defence, the Gibraltar Government still had �jurisdictional competences for official acts in Gibraltar waters�. He added that the Government intended to �upgrade our investment to make much more senior our assets to uphold them. Not only will that involve the installation of a new VTS system, but it will also involve the acquisition of vessels of a much more important size and capacity with which to exercise and enforce our jurisdictional competences and our statutory obligations.�

The failure of the Government to act on the comments made by the Chief Minister over a year ago has no doubt been a contributing factor in the increase in the scale and profile of the Spanish incursions. There has been no indication that the purchase of larger vessels, which the Government itself identified as a requirement a year ago, is any nearer to materialising. In the meantime, the officers of the Spanish state continue to ride roughshod through the territorial waters of Gibraltar acting in accordance with the policy of the central Government in Madrid that the waters around the Rock belong to them.

Government Must Act Urgently on Western Beach Sewage [August - 25 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:05:40 GMT

The Opposition is very concerned to note the reports of what is in effect raw sewage being deposited in the area of Western Beach and the consequent contamination of this part of the Bay of Gibraltar. The Opposition shares the concerns voiced by the Environmental Safety Group in respect of this pollution which, in addition to causing an environmental hazard, can also constitute a serious health hazard to the users of the popular Western Beach area.

The Opposition further notes that in reports as far back as May, photographic evidence has been provided of large storm drainage works in the area of the new marina on La Linea�s western promenade which appears to be a diversion of the sewage works which previously resulted in an outflow of sewage in an area further north.

Given the high profile reports of this diversion of sewage works in May 2010, and the fact that the ESG reportedly brought the matter directly to the attention of the relevant Government agency, the Opposition asks that the Government clarify publicly what steps it took at that time to avoid the risk of incidents such as that which appears to have occurred in the past days affecting Western Beach and bathers that use this beach.

Commenting on this very serious and unacceptable turn of events, Shadow Minister for the Environment Fabian Picardo said:

�This is an issue of massive concern. First of all it is important that we determine exactly what has given rise to the depositing of raw sewage on one of our most popular beaches. Although it appears that this is from the works done in La Linea, we must not jump to conclusions and we must ensure that, using the resources available to the Government, the whole Community is told exactly where this sewage came from. If the sewage did in fact come from the new storm drain diversion in La Linea, the Government needs to explain what it has done since the reports of this first appeared in May to prevent such an occurence. If they have done nothing, then they have been as asleep at the wheel on this matter as as they have been on so many other issues. If there is another source for this sewage, the Government needs to act immediately to ensure that that source is dealt with. If, nonetheless, the source is La Linea, urgent action must be taken to ensure that we ourselves can divert the flow from that storm drain back towards its original source. Dumping raw sewage next to a beach is in any event in flagrant breach of EU law and if the source here is the La Linea Municipality, then this may be just another example of them breaching EU law in a way that damages Gibraltar as much as they appear to be preparing to do with the proposal for an illegal toll on the exit from Gibraltar at the entry point to Spain. The matter may also, therefore, require a report to the relevant directorate of the EU Commission. This is too serious to be ignored.�

Opposition congratulate all students [August - 24 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:04:41 GMT

The Opposition would like to congratulate all those students who passed their GCSE, AS and A level examinations.

All the indicators are that once again Gibraltar has done extremely well and that our pass rate is better than the United Kingdom average.

This is a credit to the hard work produced by the students themselves, the support of their families and the professionalism and dedication of the teaching staff in all our education system.

Education is an investment in the future and it augurs well for Gibraltar that our younger generations continue to perform so well in their exams. It is important that as another wave of young Gibraltarians is ready to set off for UK universities that we ensure that there is adequate provision and advance planning in place to accommodate those who may want to come back once their studies are complete.

GSD FAILINGS IN SOCIAL SERVICES AND GHA HIGHLIGHTED FURTHER [August - 16 - 2010]

thekey — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:04:32 GMT

The Opposition entirely refutes the self-serving version of events which the GSD Government and the GHA have put out in a further press release dealing with the case of the 83 year old man who spent a number of nights in Moorish Castle Prison as a result of being forcible discharged by the GHA in his pyjamas.

The further press statement by the Government and the GHA dealing with this case highlights that they are now � as inelegantly as ever � withdrawing the earlier defamatory allegation made by them that Mr Picardo had previously made comment about this case in the media; now admitting that the comment had been by a local newspaper instead and not by Mr Picardo, as they had originally tried to impute. The press release also shows the GHA withdrawing from the position that the said gentleman was not �ill�. They are now only saying that he �did not [in their opinion] require hospitalisation�.

As they had done also in a number of other instances, the Government and the GHA have put in the public domain more details of the patient and of family members purely in order to try to defend their political position; at the expense of vulnerable people having facts about their cases aired publicly, something does not seem to concern the Government or the GHA.

The fact of the matter is that this elderly gentleman needs specialist hospital and medical care and the GHA admit that they are clearly unable to provide that much needed care because of shortages of beds at St Bernards. The GSD have long promised to develop a new facility for the care of those who are suffering from senility deriving from dementia/Alzheimer�s diseases. To date, nothing has been done in this respect.

In December of last year the Opposition highlighted the case of a 90 year old woman who was transferred to a place in KGV because there were no beds available for her at St Bernard�s Hospital or at Mount Alvernia. After her son-in-law liased with an official of the GHA on the issue, this official threatened to call the RGP to forcibly take the 90 year old woman back to her flat where she lives on her own and open the door to her house by force, if necessary, if the son-in-law refused to take her away from the hospital. That shows that the modus operandi followed in the case of the 83 year old man now highlighted is followed in other instances by the management of the GHA.

Another similar case is that of the ex-KGV patient who, after 26 years of being in a mental institution, has this week been committed also to Moorish Castle Prison. Again, the facilities at KGV have not been improved to deal with persons requiring the care which this gentleman needs; despite the repeated promises that a new facility would be provided being repeated in GSD manifestos but not delivered.

The case is also unfortunately similar to that of the 14 year old girl who had to spend time in Moorish Castle Prison because social services could not provide care for her. She was only released from jail when a kindly member of society stepped in to help. In that case (full details of which were also glaringly put in the public domain by the Minister for Social Services in a TV interview), the Department of Social Services was unable to catch the child in their �safety net� which was clearly not sufficiently resourced to provide for her needs.

In all four cases highlighted above the same thread emerges: the inability of our community under the GSD autocracy to provide care for those who need it most at the times when they need that care the most and to help the families of such individuals.

Commenting on these very serious failings of the GSD, Mr Picardo said: �The Government and GHA attacks on me over my defence of this 83 years old GHA patient serve only to continue to highlight the deficiencies in the GHA itself. Within weeks, Gibraltarians have seen a child, an elderly patient and now a long term mental health patient committed to Moorish Castle Prison because the GHA and Social Services are unable to care for them. That is self-evidently a disastrous reflection of the failings of this GSD Government. Since 2003 the GSD has been promising a facility for elderly sufferers of senility arising from dementia/ Alzheimer�s diseases. To date, nothing has been delivered in this respect; not even a temporary facility whilst the old St Bernard�s Hospital rots. Since 2003 the GSD have been promising a new purpose built KGV. That has now been changed to a refurbishment of the old Naval Hospital which has barely commenced. Yet the works for the new airport started when the ink was barely dry on the Cordoba Agreement and will be finished by next year and the GSD are now considering bailing out the developers in the Mid-Town development. Clearly, the GSD have their spending priorities quite wrong. This is a government running on empty and causing unnecessary suffering for those in our society who are most in need of care whilst spending massive amounts on an airport terminal that will no doubt look lovely but is totally unnecessary. It is clearly time for a change of government.�

Modification of noise exempt licenses reflects failure of Government policy on Leisure Areas says Opposition [August - 13 - 2010]

thekey — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:34:39 GMT

The Government�s have taken a policy decision to modify the noise exempt licenses issued to commercial premises at Ocean Village and Casemates in order to reduce noise disturbance to residents. The move coming after so many years, particularly in relation to Casemates, reflects the failure of the policy of the Government to find the right balance between the competing requirements of commercial premises (including the interests of leisure-goers) and the needs of residents.

Moreover, given the entrenched position that the Government has adopted on this issue in the past, this can only be seen as a politically opportunistic measure which they hope will keep people happy in the run up to a general election. The plain fact is that there are many people who have had to put up with considerable inconvenience in both areas and elsewhere as a result of the misguided policy of the Government and who will never forgive the GSD for having caused years of disruption to their lives. There are also many commercial premises which have been given a legitimate expectation of certain terms and conditions which have now been removed overnight at one stroke.

It will be recalled that in 2001 Parliament passed the Leisure Areas (Licensing) Act by Government majority with the Opposition voting against. The Act set up what was described at the time as a �pilot scheme� and it designated what were termed as Leisure Areas in Casemates Square, Marina Bay and Queensway Quay. It allowed for the designation of new areas as indeed happened with Ocean Village. The timing of the legislation coincided with the completion of the Casemates development and the opening of the last restaurant in that square.

This meant that the residents of Casemates Square at the time suddenly found themselves thrust inside a defined Leisure Area where the protection from all night disturbances was considerably weaker than what existed previously. The complaints mounted over the months and after countless sleepless nights the Government agreed to assist in the relocation of those who wanted (and who could do so) by buying them out.

The Opposition described the law at the time of its passing as one which laid down a legislative framework based on discretion, on which there was no restriction, against which there was no protection and above which there was no appeal. The Government confirmed that the Bill did discriminate and that it created a �regime of privilege�. In response to the accusation that the Chief Minister should have better things to do than meddling in the licensing of bars and restaurants, the type and number of tables and chairs and the colour of parasols that they use, Mr Caruana said that he considered himself the �Clerk of Works� of the Casemates development and that he found choosing tables and chairs to have been almost a �therapeutic recreation�. He added that this was Government policy and that he was not going to allow it to be run by magistrates and civil servants.

It was made clear that it was a matter of Government policy that there should be entertainment in Gibraltar and that there should be an area or areas in which there was a more liberal licensing regime. The Government have defended that policy tooth and nail over nine years since the Leisure Areas legislation was adopted. They have made people suffer from noise disturbance at night as a consequence of their vision of the Casemates development. Many residents in and around Leisure Areas have had their quality of life severely disrupted as a result of sleepless nights.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister for Commercial Affairs Dr Joseph Garcia said:
�Therefore the changes recently announced to that regime nine years later will certainly raise eyebrows given that the Government has stubbornly refused to listen to public opinion in the past. This reflects the fact that the policy of the Government has been a complete failure in terms of finding a balance between the needs of the commercial premises to provide entertainment and the needs of the residents to a peaceful nights sleep. The Government has now removed the previously created exemption from noise provisions of Sections 272 and 273 of the Criminal Offences Act which relate to the playing of musical instruments after a certain time of the night and Sections 96 and 97 of the Public Health Act dealing with noise and vibration and restrictions on the operation on the public highway of loudspeakers and so on. It is obvious that the Government had never looked into this matter properly and their policy reversal is a reflection of this fact.�

Caruana avoids answering questions with smokescreen of insults and abuse says Opposition [August - 9 - 2010]

thekey — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:54:23 GMT

The Opposition considers that Mr Caruana�s reaction to the talk on the budget that the Leader of the Opposition gave at the Casino Calpe, at their invitation, is the normal knee-jerk reaction we are accustomed to whenever he is found out and the shortcomings of his policies are exposed. This produces a diatribe of insults and personal abuse as is normal in all his tantrums.

The Opposition are confident that the electorate does not want its Parliamentarians to behave in this manner and we do not intend to follow his example. We maintain that instead of clouding the issue with insults, what Mr Caruana should do is provide explanations. He failed to provide an explanation in Parliament during the budget debate and he failed to do so again in his latest vitriolic attack on Mr Bossano.

At the time of the budget, Mr Caruana referred to the estimated shortfall in company tax of �10 million which has been projected for the coming financial year. He said that �all local taxpaying businesses will be significant beneficiaries of the reduction in the company tax rate from 22% to 10% despite the fiscal rebalancing that I will announce later to contribute towards closing the government revenue gap created by the reduction to 10%. It is not realistic to expect the Government to �take on the chin� the full effect of this more than halving of the company tax rate.�

When speaking in behalf of the Opposition, Mr Bossano asked for an explanation about the � 10 million shortfall. He wanted to establish whether the shortfall was net of all the additional revenue in company tax from all the new companies that would start paying tax on 1 January 2010 and from the additional measures that were being introduced from that date to collect tax earlier. The standard parliamentary practice is that Mr Caruana, who has the last word in the budget in exercise of his right to reply, would have responded to these points in Parliament. However, he did not address the questions asked by Mr Bossano. The Opposition Leader made the same points again in a recent article in the media and again Mr Caruana did not answer the questions. In his speech last week to the members of the Casino Calpe Mr Bossano raised the same issues again, and once more Mr Caruana did not take advantage of his latest public statement in order to reply to these points.

The issue is that the only justification given by Mr Caruana in his budget speech for the increase in revenue raising measures was that the Government could not absorb the projected � 10 million reduction in company tax. This reduction was supposedly the result of the reduction on the rate of company tax to 10% on 1 January 2011.

It will only affect the taxation of profits for three months, January, February and March 2011. In the last financial year, the Government collected �28 million from tax on company profits. That is an average level of company tax on profits of � 7 million every quarter. If the tax comes down from 22% to 10% for one quarter, how can it be possible for the revenue to drop by � 10 million when previously the collection was running at � 7 million?

It needs to be clearly understood that for nine months of the present financial year the tax is not coming down and businesses are still being taxed at 22%. The Government should collect, if there was no change this year, about � 21 million. Instead they have said they will be collecting � 18 million, ten less than last year, and that the loss of revenue could possibly be even higher than the � 10 million.

In addition to this, there are an unknown number of companies that pay zero tax until the end of the year, some 20 of which are internet gaming companies employing nearly 2000 people. They will start paying for the first time on 1 January and will pay for January, February and March. People are entitled to know how much these new taxpayers will contribute in those three months. This income from new taxpayers is what is supposed to offset the � 10 million alleged loss from the lower rate of company tax on local businesses in those same three months.

In addition, accompanying the lower rate of tax in January, the Government has announced two changes. One is having to pay tax in advance instead of in arrears and the other zero tolerance of any failure to comply with the law. Those two measures announced by the Government are designed to increase the yield from the 10% rate. The Government refuses to explain whether this has already been taken into account in arriving at the � 10 m loss in revenue.

The answer to these questions would explain the mystery of the projected �10m shortfall. It would be very simple for Mr Caruana to clear up this mystery. However, quite apart from his refusal to answer legitimate questions, Mr Caruana also finds it offensive that anyone else should speak publicly on any subject whether at the United Nations in New York or at the Casino Calpe in Gibraltar. He finds it even more offensive that anyone should have the temerity to question his policies and considers that anyone who thinks differently or challenges anything he says is by definition dishonest or incompetent. This is the measure of his credentials as somebody who holds an office that is required to abide by the rules of free speech, freedom of expression and democracy.

MR BOSSANO PUT�S MR CARUANA FORMULA TO THE TEST [August - 10 - 2010]

thekey — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:52:54 GMT

PICARDO �VERY CONFIDENT� IN BID TO LEAD GSLP AT NEXT GENERAL ELECTION [August - 5 - 2010]

thekey — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:47:48 GMT

Fabian Picardo is confident that he will be elected as next leader of the GSLP as reported by the Gibraltar Chronicle. He is equally confident that he will have also will have the support of Dr Joe Garcia in the Alliance as they prepare for the next election Click link to read the whole article and full interview.

Government must act now to stop Civil Guard incursions says Opposition [August - 5 - 2010]

thekey — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:45:43 GMT

The latest incursion by the Guardia Civil into Camp Bay at a time when there were bathers in the water is outrageous and represents a frontal challenge to the sovereignty and jurisdiction that Gibraltar exercises in the waters around the Rock. The problem, as the Opposition predicted, has intensified over the last few weeks given the failure to take strong and decisive action in order to put an end to these incursions once and for all.

The Opposition has received detailed eyewitness accounts of the latest incident that took place yesterday at Camp Bay. A jet-ski with two persons on board was being pursued by a Civil Guard patrol boat inside the territorial waters of Gibraltar. The jet-ski entered Camp Bay and landed on the shore and the Civil Guard patrol boat followed at speed and nearly hit a young girl who was in the water. The Guardia Civil then proceeded to back pedal and position their vessel at the marker buoys waiting for the jet-ski to exit.

At this time, the Royal Gibraltar Police arrived on the scene first with a RHIB and then with a launch. They positioned themselves next to the Guardia Civil vessel. The RGP was followed on the scene by two Royal Navy patrol boats who positioned themselves one at each end of the Guardia Civil launch. This stand-off continued for over half an hour, presumably while instructions were obtained on how to proceed. It ended with the release of the Guardia Civil patrol boat and no arrests.

This latest incursion at Camp Bay follows a string of incidents which have been marked by reckless and irresponsible behaviour on the part of the Guardia Civil. They have shown an increasing disregard for safety at sea and for the normal rules of maritime behaviour that is to be expected from an agency of the Spanish state. The danger that the Civil Guard pose to shipping has now been taken a step further with danger posed to bathers as well.

The Opposition consider that it was only a matter of time before the seriousness of the incidents with the Guardia Civil escalated to this level. The issue now is not only the question of sovereignty, but also safety and security at sea within the territorial waters of Gibraltar. The Gibraltar Government indicated over a year ago that they intended to increase the capability of their maritime assets including the purchase of larger and faster vessels. Given the millions of pounds that the Government have borrowed for capital investment why have they not invested in the purchase of these vessels which they said were necessary to protect our jurisdiction in our waters a year ago. Is it that they are afraid of upsetting the Spanish Government? The situation at sea is getting worse and worse by the day. Spain continues to make a mockery both of the laws of Gibraltar and of our sovereign rights and nobody is doing anything about it.

Government personal attack on Mr Picardo is improper and undignified says Opposition [August - 4 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:23:56 GMT

The accusations levelled at Oppositon Member Fabian Picardo by the Government in response to our press release about bed shortages at the hospital shows that the GSD are unable to defend their policies without resorting to undignified and improper comment. This is designed only to divert attention from the many failings of the health policy of the Government in general and of Minister Del Agua and Chief Executive David McCutcheon in particular. It should be noted that Mr Picardo has previously made no public comment about this case at all and has cleared with the family of his client that he can do so in reply to this unprovoked attack.

It is totally untrue for anyone in the Government to say that Mr Picardo sought to place undue duress on Mr McCutcheon in any instance. All Mr Picardo did was ring Mr McCutcheon to ask why an 83 year old man had been discharged from hospital when he was obviously unwell and the discharge would put him in breach of Court imposed bail conditions. Mr McCutcheon and Mr Picardo then held a cordial five minute conversation discussing the case.

Moreover, it should be explicitly clear to the public and to the authorities that:

The 83 year old patient in question was left outside of his home in his pyjamas because Mr McCutcheon appears to have given the order that he be removed from St Bernard�s Hospital without checking if there was anyone at his residential address;

It would be incredible that Mr McCutcheon�s did not know that acting in this manner would result in the 83 year old patient in question being put in breach of his bail conditions, which calls into question whether a person in a senior management position in a public organisation such as the GHA should have acted in such manner;

The said 83 year old patient was considered by some within the GHA to have medical conditions that required him to remain hospitalised and that Mr McCutcheon, who has not practiced medicine for many years, decided he should be discharged.

Mr Picardo therefore entirely refutes the totally unsubstantiated, false and defamatory statement predictably made against him by the GSD. Nothing could be further from the truth and the GSD Government�s statement is therefore no more than a continuation of the regrettable style of politics that they have us accustomed to which is now the typical style of the GSD when it has nothing to say on a particular issue.

Responding to the unprovoked attack on him that emanated from 6 Convent Place, Mr Picardo said:

�The fact of the matter is that Yvette del Agua and David McCutcheon rely on insults and defamations to try to wriggle out of the issues that concern the public in our community. Given their inability to tackle the substance of issues raised, I am more concerned than ever now about the obvious mismanagement at the top of the GHA. Things don�t get better for patients because the Government has a go at me. Clearly, it is time for a change in the administration of our country�s affairs and the management of the GHA and the sooner the GSD Government recognises that, the better.�

Air traffic control agreement could be seen as tacit recognition that Gibraltar has its own airspace says Opposition [August - 3 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:22:43 GMT

The recent signature of an air traffic control agreement between NATS and AENA could be seen as tacit recognition that the airspace above Gibraltar is not Spanish and that there is a point at which an aircraft is leaving Spanish airspace and entering Gibraltar airspace and vice versa. There is very little information publicly available on the details of the agreement but this overriding principle is obvious given that such an agreement would not be necessary if, as Madrid claims, the airspace above Gibraltar were Spanish.

It will be recalled that last month the Gibraltar Government announced the signing of a technical level agreement between air traffic control providers in Gibraltar and in Spain. The Gibraltar signatory was National Air Traffic Services Ltd, which is actually a contractor for the Ministry of Defence and for Spain the Spanish air traffic control provider Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navagacion Area.

This followed the decision of the Spanish air traffic controllers union to taken legal action against the Spanish agency for air security (AESA) on the basis that the different manner of communicating between Gibraltar airport and the control centre at Seville posed a safety and security risk. The signature of the agreement is an attempt to close the safety risk that the air traffic controllers had identified but in so doing the existence of an agreement in itself has given de facto recognition that AENA does not control the airspace above Gibraltar.

Earlier this year senior technical officials in AENA itself confirmed that the abnormal situation which surrounded North Front airport, because of the Spanish sovereignty claim, meant that there was a lack of standardised procedures which forced Spanish air traffic controllers based at Seville to work differently when communicating with Gibraltar. It has now been established locally that what the agreement does is to make sure that controllers in Seville are fully briefed and aware of the procedures that are going to be followed when they deal with Gibraltar. None of the procedures have been changed, they have simply been written down and formalised.

It is clear that the reason for a written agreement is that it is possible that a new controller who comes in is not aware of how the handover of flights between Seville and Gibraltar should be done and in order to prevent difficulties everything has been written down. This need for the controllers to familiarise themselves with the different way of dealing with Gibraltar has been given as the reason for the delay between the signature of the agreement on the 14th July and its coming into effect yesterday on the 2nd August.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister with responsibility for Civil Aviation Dr Joseph Garcia said:

�The Opposition has not seen the document so we can therefore make our own judgement based only on the limited amount of information that has been made public in Gibraltar and in Spain. It is a fact that the timing of the agreement coincided with the legal action that the Spanish air traffic controllers had initiated and it removes one of arguments that were being used in the industrial dispute with their employers. It is also a fact that in formalising the procedures that already existed between Gibraltar and Seville into a written agreement, even if the actual procedures remain the same, this provides de facto recognition that there are two separate air traffic control jurisdictions covering two separate sovereign areas. When General Franco divided the Bay along the median line, for example, the unintended consequence was to recognise British sovereignty in the other half.�

Government could not care less about cancelled operations issue says Opposition [August - 2 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:20:57 GMT

The problems faced by persons who have to undergo cancelled operations may well be scraping the bottom of the barrel for the Government, but for those affected it is a serious and important issue which has a disruptive impact on their lives. It is obvious that the Government could not care less and instead of addressing the central point at issue all they can do is respond with personal attacks and red herrings.

The Government have said in their response on Friday that there are operations cancelled in the best hospitals in the world. In the past both Mr Caruana and his Health Minister Yvette del Agua have flippantly declared that operations are cancelled even in the Houston Medical Centre. It is obvious that the Government still do not understand that people are not concerned about what happens either in �the best hospitals in the world� or in the Houston Medical Centre, people only care about what happens to them in Gibraltar when they are booked in for an operation and it is subsequently cancelled often at very short notice. In any case, Mr Caruana and Mrs Del Agua are politically accountable for what happens in St Bernard�s Hospital and not for what happens in the Houston Medical Centre or in the best hospitals in the world.

The Government accept in their statement that 78 operations were cancelled due to a shortage of beds in the four-month period from February to May 2010. The point made by the Opposition was that this represented huge increase from the previous four-month period from October 2009 to January 2010 when the figures supplied to the Opposition show that 10 operations were cancelled. The Government have actually said nothing to explain or account for such a huge increase other than pointing in general terms to the �problem of bed shortages due to acute beds being occupied by elderly people.�

However, an analysis of the number of long-stay elderly persons at St Bernard�s Hospital and the number of cancelled operations does not back up what the Government have said. For example, in January 2010 there were 28 long-stay elderly citizens occupying beds in St Bernard�s Hospital and that month there were no cancelled operations caused by lack of beds. In May 2010 there were 21 elderly citizens occupying beds and there were 25 cancelled operations due to bed shortages. In other words, the number of cancelled operations was less at a time when there were more elderly people occupying beds.

The latest figures, contrary to what the Government have said, suggest that there appears to be no correlation between one thing and the other. There were no cancelled operations for this reason in November, December and January even though there were respectively 20, 20 and 28 elderly persons occupying beds. However, There were 27 cancelled operations in March, 4 in April and 25 in May even though there were 25, 23 and 21 elderly citizens occupying beds.

The shortage of beds at St Bernard�s Hospital, on this scale, is a development that occurred during the mandate of the GSD and while the hospital was still housed at the old St Bernard�s. The move of the hospital into an office block at Europort did nothing to solve the problem contrary to the expectations generated by the Government themselves at the time. Indeed, before the move the Government listed the action that they were taking to deal with this problem. They then said that they had designated a bed manager to monitor the situation on a daily basis, that a bed management policy had been drawn up, that there was contact with the Elderly Care Agency, that facilities and that resources were being enhanced at the residential homes for the elderly. They then added, presenting as part of the solution �Of course, it is important to highlight that plans are well advanced for the conversion of Europort into a first class modern hospital.�

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister for Health Neil Costa said:

�It is obvious that the �first class modern hospital� imported the same lack of beds problem that existed in the old building, for which they blamed the elderly and their families and which they predicted would be solved by the new hospital. The increase in the number of cancelled operations creates disruption not just for the patients and their families but also to the hospital itself through the non-use of the operating theatres. The stark reality is that behind the usual bluster from Mr Caruana and Mrs Del Agua the problems with cancelled operations caused by bed shortages continue.�

Ban on Gibraltar�s participation in European Athletics championship opening ceremony is disgraceful says Opposition

thekey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:29:37 GMT

The Opposition condemn the fact that Gibraltar was unable to participate in the opening ceremony of the European Athletics Championships taking place in Barcelona because of political objections raised by Spain. This shows that Madrid continues to have no hesitation in mixing politics and sport as they have done for many years.

Gibraltar is a full member of the International Amateur Athletics Federation as a country in our own right. This means that we are perfectly entitled to participate in international or European sporting events in the same way as any other member and with no obstacles or restrictions placed upon us. The news that Gibraltar was not allowed to participate in the opening ceremony following an objection raised by Spain is absolutely scandalous. The opening ceremony is one of the main events of the tournament where athletes parade past the audience carrying a banner with the name of their country and bearing the national flag. It is obvious that Spain did not want this to happen and Gibraltar was not allowed to take part.

It will be recalled that Spain�s Consejo Superior de Deportes, which is an organ of the Spanish Government, issued an edit many years ago calling on all Spanish sporting federations to object whenever they were faced with an application for membership from an association from Gibraltar. They have also made life difficult for Gibraltar in a number of sporting tournaments over the years, particularly when an international event in which Gibraltar is entitled to participate takes place in Spain.

The most prominent case of this political discrimination against Gibraltar is the continued exclusion of the Gibraltar Football Association from membership of UEFA. It is well known that under pressure from the Spanish football federation, the rules of the organisation were changed after Gibraltar applied to join. This has been the subject of a number of court cases where the tribunals have consistently found in favour of the GFA but despite this Gibraltar is still not a member.

The continuing objection by Spain to the participation of Gibraltar in sporting events and to our membership of international associations runs counter to the propaganda that we continue to be fed about the new climate that exists in relations between Gibraltar and Madrid. It is absolutely disgraceful that Gibraltar�s sportsmen should continue to be discriminated against for political reasons at the behest of the Spanish Government.

Opposition highlight concerns about Referendum House lifts [July - 28 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:28:55 GMT

The Opposition have received complaints from tenants that one of the two lifts at Referendum House is again out of action. The tenants claim that the faulty lift has not been repaired despite various reports that have been made by them to the housing department in the last few days and they are understandably concerned that many people will be left stranded if the only remaining lift were to break down as well.

The story of the lifts at Referendum House is a long and complicated saga. The Opposition has received many complaints over the years regarding the functioning of these lifts and it is unacceptable that the complaints should continue within weeks of both lifts having been replaced by new ones. Indeed, the Ministry for Housing reporting office, according to data supplied by the Government, has received 90 reports about the lift at Referendum House since 2007. In 2010 up to June there have been 9 reports, 6 of which were made in May and June. The second new lift was installed in May 2010.

In answer to questions at the last meeting of Parliament, the Government said that 30 lifts are included in the contract held by Otis for the repair and maintenance of lifts in Government housing estates. They added that the four lifts at the Tower Blocks were under warranty and therefore not included in the contract as yet. The Government also said that since Otis undertook responsibility for the repair and maintenance of lifts in Government housing estates, the taxpayer has paid �273,345 for this service. When asked by Shadow Housing Minister Charles Bruzon how many times the lifts in Government housing estates required preventive maintenance in each financial year since the contract with Otis commenced, the Government response was that there was no record of the number of times that this has occurred.

The Opposition is concerned at the reports that it continues to receive regarding the lifts at Referendum House. The latest complaint indicates that one lift is out of order and that the other is operating in a bumpy and shaky manner. There are many tenants who will find access to their homes extremely difficult if both lifts were to break down.

Government have politically mishandled Mid Town project from the very outset says Opposition [July - 27 - 2010]

thekey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:27:21 GMT

The decision of the Government to consider becoming a majority shareholder in the development of the first phase of the Mid Town project will only serve to further compound the way in which this development has been politically mishandled from the very outset. It was bad enough that the land for the project was undervalued and undersold five years ago. It now adds insult to injury that the taxpayer, who has been short-changed by this project, should now have to bail out the development because bank finance is unavailable.

The Mid Town project is located on former MOD land in the centre of town which included the two naval grounds and comprised about 7500 square meters of land for the developer. It was not put out to tender and was directly awarded by the Government to a company called Commercial Developments Investments Ltd which was then a consortium of Dutch and local developers. The original plans were for the construction of two buildings, one high-rise, in exchange for which the developer would build a school, a park, a car park for 650 vehicles and a leisure centre inside King�s Bastion. These works were valued at � 10 million.

The Opposition has long maintained that the project was undersold and that the real value of this large prime site of land was more in the region of �20-�25 million. The cost of the leisure centre alone proved to be around � 11 million which was more than double the original estimate which meant that the balance between the original value and the new value were met by the Government. In other words, instead of the developer paying the Government, the Government ended up paying the developer.

There were further changes made to the project which included a reduction in the height and the construction of four towers of offices and luxury apartments instead of two. It was announced at the launch of the project that construction of the first building, Rock Tower, would commence in February 2008 and be completed in April 2010. The intention was that the four buildings would be phased in over 5-6 years in line with market demands. When questioned about the delay in Parliament in 2009 by Shadow Minister for development and planning Dr Joseph Garcia, the Government said that the developers had indicated to them that they expected to commence actual construction before the end of the year. No mention was made at the time of any difficulty in securing bank finance for the project.

The manner in which the Government has dealt with this project has raised a number of serious issues and exposed the shortcomings of their development and planning policy. It has become increasingly obvious that a condition of such awards must include a fixed commencement date failing which the developer would forfeit the deposit and lose the plot of land. It is also clear that the Government cannot possibly have known whether this was the best deal available simply because the project never went out to tender and other potentially interested parties were therefore excluded from the process.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister for development and planning Dr Joseph Garcia said:

�The news that the Government now intends to become a majority shareholder in the development of Mid Town�s first phase means that as well as a share in any hypothetical future profit, they (meaning the taxpayer) are also landed with the majority share of the risk involved. The plain fact is that the lack of office space in Gibraltar is a problem of the Government�s own making. They took the decision to move the hospital into an office block at Europort instead of having constructed a purpose-built hospital elsewhere. They also failed to make provision for any future office space once the decision to move the hospital had been taken. It is totally unacceptable that the tax payers of Gibraltar should now be expected to pay for the mistakes of the Government once again.�

Opposition concerned at sharp increase in cancelled hospital operations caused by lack of beds [July - 26 - 2010]

thekey — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:20:42 GMT

It is regrettable, to say the least, that once again members of the public continue to complain to the Opposition as to cancelled operations. In fact, the Opposition is concerned at the sharp increase in the number of operations that have been cancelled at St Bernard�s Hospital because of bed shortages. The flippant remark by Mr Caruana and Mrs del Agua that operations are cancelled even in the Houston Medical Centre will serve as scant consolation to the many people who continue to be affected by this problem.

The latest figures made available to the Opposition show that for the period from February to May of this year a total of 78 operations were cancelled due to the non-availability of beds. This represents a huge increase from the previous four-month period from October 2009 to January 2010 where the figures supplied to the Opposition show that 10 operations were cancelled for the same reason in that time.

There were a total of 22 operations cancelled due to non-availability of beds in February 2010, 27 in March 2010, 4 in April 2010 and 25 in May 2010.

Given that the Government has had no less than fourteen years to get to grips with this problem, it is totally unacceptable that patients should have to go through the mental trauma of preparing for an operation only to be told, sometimes at the last minute, that this will not happen because there are no beds available. It is a reflection of the polices of this GSD Government and its poor planning capability that this continues to happen at what they like to describe as a �state of the art� facility. It will be recalled that the Opposition warned about this problem when the Government took the policy decision to move the hospital from its old site and put it in an office block at Europort. The problem with lack of beds was simply transferred from one building to another.

In the past the Government have blamed the lack of beds on elderly persons whom they have accused of �bed-blocking�. It will be recalled that an empty ward was recently allocated to the Elderly Care Agency and that a number of elderly patients were decanted into this new ward. It is inexplicable how the shortage of bed space has now deteriorated even further although this new facility has come into existence.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister for Health Neil Costa said:

�When faced with these criticisms, both Mr Caruana and his Health Minister Mrs del Agua have only offered red herrings and sarcasm. The Government do not seem to understand that this is a problem which is affecting an increasing number of people and one which they have failed to get to grips with over many years. They have had ample time to resolve the matter and they have failed to do so. If they had applied the same energy and resources to this as they have to other things like the construction of a new air terminal building then perhaps people would no longer be affected by this problem. However, they prefer to waste money on grandoise luxuries instead of on real issues that affect real people. The GSD Government�s time is up and they will pay the price with the electorate when an election is called.�

Mayor of La Linea will damage cross-border relations if he persists with his plans says Opposition [July - 22 - 2010]

thekey — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:13:53 GMT

The Mayor of La Linea Alejandro Sanchez has claimed that the measures that he wants to take at the frontier are not aimed against Gibraltar but against the central Government in Madrid. Even though this may be the intention, he must surely understand that the direct effect of the measures will be felt in Gibraltar alone and not in Madrid or anywhere else.

The action involves creating an additional checkpoint for vehicles exiting Gibraltar and the proposed payment of a toll by persons entering Gibraltar by car. The checkpoint, regardless of the legitimacy of the action taken by local police officers of the municipality, is simply designed to increase the length of time that it takes to cross the frontier. The Mayor should realise that there are many Gibraltarians and other residents of Gibraltar who cross into La Linea to spend money there on goods and services. It is obvious that the more difficult the Mayor makes it to cross the frontier, the less residents of Gibraltar will be inclined to spend their money in his city. The actions of the Mayor will therefore do nothing to help La Linea and will have the opposite effect. Indeed, the antipathy and resentment that this will create in Gibraltar is not in the best interests of La Linea or of friendly cross-border relations.

In taking this action, Mr Sanchez is repeating the same mistake made by previous Spanish politicians at a local and national level. There is a tendency in political circles in Spain to believe that the frontier is a chink in Gibraltar�s armour and that they can use their control over the flow of people to put pressure on Gibraltar. The lesson of history is that these actions are completely counterproductive and that the more pressure that is placed on Gibraltar the more determined it makes us to resist it.

The Mayor�s threats and actions are also rather surprising given the comments he made at the time of his election that this would usher in a new era in relations between Gibraltar and La Linea. The Mayor must know that there are many thousands of Spaniards who come in to earn their living in Gibraltar and many others who provide goods and services. There may well be 10,000 unemployed people in La Linea, as he says, but the truth is that if it were not for Gibraltar there would be many thousands more.

Government are incapable of accepting that there was no safety net for young girl says Opposition [July - 21 - 2010]

thekey — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:12:44 GMT

It is obvious that this Government lack both the conviction and the arguments with which to defend the policy decisions that they take. Their latest response to the Opposition statement regarding the case of a 14 year old girl who had to spend two nights in prison is a case in point.

The issue is not whether the minor had breached a curfew or not, as the Care Agency says in their press release. The issue is that when the minor was taken to court for breaching the curfew the magistrate did not have anywhere else to send her because according to the Government�s social services department they did not have the resources to deal with the case. The juvenile therefore ended up in prison.

It is obvious from the tone of the Care Agency�s statement and of the interview given by Minister Jaime Netto that the Government are unrepentant and that they believe that they have nothing to apologise for. This is in line with the attitude that Gibraltar has come to expect from a GSD Government who believe that everything they do is always right and that the consequences of their policies cannot be questioned or challenged by anyone.

It is Minister Netto and his Government who have indulged in political point scoring. They should know that the Opposition drew attention to the lack of facilities to deal with these kind of cases last year, well before this incident had taken place. Our comments now are consistent with the views that we expressed at the time.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Minister with responsibility for social services Neil Costa said:

�The Minister continues to place information surrounding this case into the public domain in a feeble attempt to justify his own political position and explain the shortcomings of the policies of his Government. We understand that this information is not entirely accurate. In any event, even if what the Government has said were to be 100% accurate, it does not detract from the main point at issue. The bottom line is that the Government is completely mistaken in its belief that social services exist to deal with �normal� and �run of the mill� situations. They are incapable of accepting that there was no safety net for this young person in her time of need.�

Government failure to provide berths for small boats creates parking problem at Western Beach [July - 20 - 2010]

thekey — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:19:34 GMT

The failure of the Government to provide berths for small boat owners whose boats are on land at Western Beach has once again created a severe parking problem for beach users in the area. The Opposition drew attention to this matter a year ago and berths have still not been provided for those affected.

There are about 40 small boats hauled up on land in the narrow access road that leads to Western Beach. These occupy a large number of parking spaces in the area. It means that there are many beach users who cannot find a space in which to park or who have to resort to using the pay car park next door. Western Beach is in fact the only beach in Gibraltar were people are expected to pay to park their cars.

In answer to questions from Shadow Minister with responsibility for the Port, Dr Joseph Garcia, the Government said that there were 186 boat owners who are waiting for a berth. This includes owners with boats on land, like those at Western Beach, and others who would like to import a boat but who are unable to do so because they have nowhere to berth it.

This year the problem at Western Beach has been compounded by the mess that the Government has allowed in all the other of Gibraltar�s sandy beaches. The problems at Sandy Bay, Eastern Beach and Catalan Bay means that beach users who want to go to a sandy beach in Gibraltar, as opposed to a pebble beach , have no other option but to go to Western Beach.

Moreover, members of the public have made representations to the Opposition regarding the state of Western Beach itself. The first is that the beach shower which was in place in the past has been removed without word or explanation of any kind It would have been logical to have constructed such a facility in the concrete area where persons enter and exit the beach.

The second issue is that there is no proper flagpole at which the red or yellow flag can be hoisted for the public to see. The flags are presently attached to the lifeguard tower near the back of the beach and this is not as visible as it should be. Indeed, during a recent shark alert last week, many beach goers were not even aware that the red flag had been hoisted because of its peculiar location. It also became obvious as a result of this incident that the lifeguards should be supplied with a loud-hailer (they are even available with a built-in siren) in order to get people out the water quickly when there is an emergency. The present system where they blow a whistle leads to confusion when many small children also have a similar sounding whistles which they play with on the beach.

This year the changing rooms have been moved to an area nearer to the beach itself. However, the toilets are still half way down the long access road. There have been cases of elderly persons and young children who have been unable to wait when they wanted to use the toilet urgently. The plain fact is that the toilets are outside the beach itself and at some distance which is something that does not happen on the same scale at any other of Gibraltar�s beaches.

The main problem is clearly parking. The lack of foresight and planning on the part of the Government first in providing berths for the small boats owners and secondly in not providing adequate parking alternatives is another example of their being more focused on expensive luxury projects rather than on the needs of ordinary people.

Opposition highlight concerns regarding front doors at Cumberland Terraces

thekey — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:31:30 GMT

The Opposition has received more complaints from purchasers at Cumberland Terraces who are understandably upset at a number of different problems affecting the development. The length of time that people have had to wait for their flats even before the collapse of the developer OEM and the subsequent collapse of the contractor Haymills has only served to make matters worse.

The Opposition continue to receive complaints from purchasers regarding the fact that there are restrictors on the windows of the flats which only allow them to open a few centimetres. There are many purchasers who have a serious problem with this and who claim that the restricted opening does not allow them to have proper ventilation of their flats particularly at this time of the year in the heat of summer.

There have now been further complaints made regarding the front doors of the flats at Cumberland Terraces. The Opposition has been informed that the Government have had to replace the front doors in the development because these were deemed not to be good enough. This decision was apparently taken post-inspection and post the completion certificates being awarded which is a very unusual way in which to proceed.

The Government, through its wholly-owned company GRP, have told purchasers that they are not satisfied with the quality of the doors and they have a concern that they may deteriorate too quickly. They have not explained how it was that the front doors were installed before the Government took this view about their quality and decided to remove them. They have also not explained why this was done post-inspection and post the award of the completion certificates. The reality is that the front doors of many flats will now have to be changed with people living in them. Purchasers have been advised that this can be done in a day but it will nonetheless cause considerable inconvenience to many people not least about issues like safety and security.

The Government, in an obvious attempt to place the blame elsewhere, have explained to purchasers that they did not design the development nor did it specify the standards. However, they have declared �that both are satisfactory and fully compliant with applicable Regulations and Standards�.

Commenting on the matter, Shadow Housing Minister Charles Bruzon said that:

�I have been approached by a number of people who have expressed concern to me about their flats at Cumberland Terraces. These centre on the quality of the finished product and on the differences between their expectations and what has actually happened in reality. It is not acceptable that the Government should wash its hands of the project as if it had nothing to do with them. As I have said before, they have boasted they had closely supervised the quality of the construction, therefore any defects that surface now are clearly a Government responsibility for which they must answer and which they will have to rectify.�

GOVT FUNDING OF 7 DAYS IS TAXPAYER FUNDING OF GSD CAMPAIGN [July - 17 - 2010]

thekey — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:30:35 GMT

The statements by the current Chief Minister, Mr Caruana, on GBC�s Newswatch last Friday attempting to justify the Government�s funding of the �7 Days� are a transparent nonsense peddled in the manner of a snake oil salesman.

Mr Caruana told GBC that the only criteria for placing government advertisement in newspapers was that they should not be �in house� party organs. Mr Caruana has argued for the last 15 years that Government would not advertise in �The New People� on the basis that it was an in house party organ of the GSLP. However, Mr Caruana has been fully aware that for the past 15 years �The New People� has been owned exclusively by Mr Clive Golt (the new Government Media Director) and NOT by the GSLP or any member of the GSLP executive. The �7 Days� is owned by a GSD party supporter.

In any event, this is different to what Mr Caruana has previously told the Parliament when he was trying to justify removing official advertising from VOX, after it had taken an editorial line that was contrary to the GSD. At that time, Mr Caruana argued that official advertising would only be placed in publications that were up to date in their debts to Government. The GSD Government had advertised in Vox � despite the debts that newspaper had to government in PAYE and Social Insurance � until it changed its editorial line to be anti-GSD.

Commenting on the matter, shadow minister for the media, Fabian Picardo, said: �This Government is making a virtue of contradiction. Peter Caruana will now say anything to try to hang onto power and justify his funding of the 7 Days to allow it to publish a GSD manifesto on a weekly basis at taxpayers expense. This is totally contrary to established principles of good governance and illustrates that Mr Caruana is confusing his party interests with those of the State. In effect, taxpayers are now funding a part of the GSD�s campaign with public money. The state funding of what is clearly a party organ like �7 Days� has to be considered when looking at substance and not form. If Mr Caruana is now saying � having changed his position � that if the form is that a newspaper is not owned in-house by a political party it will get state advertising, he is just seeking to carve out an exception to fit the facts as it suits him. As I told Mr Caruana during the course of the Budget debate, he has lost his democratic way on this. Unfortunately, although Mr Caruana speaks to the highest standards of governance, his actions stoop to political skulduggery of the lowest kind. But his excuses no longer wash with the public, who are too clever to allow him to continue to pull the wool over their eyes with transparent excuses. These actions serve to show just how badly a change of government is needed in Gibraltar, and soon!�