A Vision Statement for a New Government of Gibraltar

This past week in conversation with a good friend it occurred to me that a party trying to get into government has to portray a short message containing its vision for Gibraltar. It is not enough for it to publish a lengthy and detailed manifesto just a few weeks before an election. Elections are won by convincing, in as brief a message as possible, the middle of the road voter that another contender will provide beneficial change. The detail has to be explained over time and individually.

It is not easy to achieve the communication of a vision, especially when faced with visual evidence of actual achievements by a Government in power. The Government in power has this very real advantage. The effort to sell a vision by a party trying to get into Government has to be that much greater. It has to be focused and effectively explained in a manner that captures the imagination easily and does not cause boredom.

I have undertaken an exercise in which I set out what I consider to be such a vision communicated in bite-sized pieces. In doing so I have not tried to invent the wheel, so in that regard it is simple, what I have tried to do is, explain what my vision for a party that I would vote for might be. For what it is worth here it is:

Political philosophy

A left of centre party, committed to a British Gibraltar, having a deep belief in the well being of individuals, especially the more needy in society, and of the community as a whole. 
A party committed to the empowerment of people through a truly representative Parliament, reinforced by working strictly under the authority of laws enacted in and by Parliament (the reinstatement of the “Rule of Law”). 
A party that does not govern under executive diktats or by any single member of Government rather a Government having collective responsibility.

Good Governance

To govern within the Rule of Law, which will require that the Civil Service should be strengthened by motivation, training and by recruitment policies in line with and building on societal and educational advances made in the last 25 years; advances achieved by the progressive educational policies followed by successive governments.
To establish an independent Anti-corruption Authority.

Empowerment of People

To promote electoral reforms.
To promote both substantive and procedural parliamentary reforms having the aim of ensuring an element of separation between the legislative and the executive arms of government.
To promote additional checks and balances and more accountability.
To permit greater access to information. 
To introduce legislation to authorise the holding of more frequent referenda.

Housing

To enact legislation to put the construction of housing and the co-ownership scheme on an open and transparent statutory footing.
To undertake a review of the Housing Allocation Scheme with the aim of improving fairness in the allocation of rental and co-ownership housing.
To allow 18 year olds to sign up.
To assist Gibraltarians wishing to return to Gibraltar.

Public Real Estate

To ensure a fairer and more transparent management of public real estate so that, such as has no social significance, is disposed of at the best price achievable for the benefit of the common purse and so that it is exploited for the best long-term economic advantage that will stimulate employment and improve the Gross Domestic Product.

Education

To continue with all policies that encourage free education and attendance at post-schooling training and secondary education (inclusive of selective post-graduate education), 
To invest in an improved and holistic career advisory services, which in addition to general advice would strive to advise students to understand the career and employment advantages and disadvantages of courses that they wish to pursue.

Health

To encourage the employment of adequately trained and qualified locals in our health services.
To abolish means tested sponsored patient rules.
To permit access to medical notes.
To make the health services complaints procedure more independent.
To actively promote healthy lifestyles to help to reduce illness.
To improve the infrastructure for and care of the mentally ill.

Social Services

To undertake a root and branch review of the social services system in Gibraltar with a view to providing bespoke packages tailored to meet individual requirements of the needy and less adequate members of our society with the ultimate aim being to  integrate them into mainstream society and to make as many as possible productive members of society in employment.

Pensioners

To return the emphasis to meeting the real needs of pensioners equally and fairly, including, by eliminating the tax privileges advanced to those pensioners who are less in need, at the expense of working taxpayers whose own pension expectations are reduced in light of admitted non-affordability.

Disabled Persons

To undertake a root and branch review of the facilities presently available for the disabled persons in close cooperation and consultation with representative organisations of affected individuals in order to increase accessibility and facilities for them.
To ease the additional burden suffered by disabled persons.

Economy and Business

To continue a non-discriminatory progressive fiscal policy that encourages inward investment and an attractive environment for work and business.
To cease all profligate expenditure of public monies and endeavour to reduce the public debt.
To take steps to reduce the scope of cross-border unfair competition.
To reduce the scope for abuse in the tender system and the allocation of contracts with a publicly funded element.
To innovate in order to encourage business start-ups and increase investment in the promotion of “Gibraltar PLC” (including tourism, port, financial services and World Wide Web based businesses) for the collective benefit of all, without favour or advantage, and in that manner to increase the number of jobs and improve job prospects for those already in employment.

Employment

To promote the employment of locals within the permissive bounds of applicable laws on good but affordable terms and conditions.
To encourage good industrial relations by working in close consultation and partnership with trade unions and employers and trade bodies.

Energy and the Environment

As soon as is affordable:

• To construct an environmentally friendly power station, providing Gibraltar with a truly self-sufficient energy policy without reliance on Heath Robinson and temporary facilities.
• To build the much delayed obligatory sewage treatment plant.

Generally to closely heed and introduce, as may be feasible, environmental considerations and requirements into the decision making process.
To empower people in the planning process.

Youth and Sport

To continue funding leisure and sporting facilities.
To promote their use.
To assist our youth and sportsmen in the international arena.

Law and Order

To adequately (but reasonably) fund the law enforcement agencies and to fully support them.
To ensure an adequately (but reasonably) funded judiciary so that it is able to better undertake its constitutional function and duties independently and in accordance with internationally recognised principles and standards.

Fundamental Rights

To fully abide by the obligations imposed on all administrations by Chapter 1 of the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006.
To accept responsibility as a Government for so abiding, without shirking its legislative responsibility by surrendering its obligations to the judiciary.
Consequentially, to repeal the anomalous legislation allowing Government access to the Courts on questions relating to fundamental rights.
To establish an independent administrative Commission modeled on the Canadian equivalent to advise on the constitutionality of laws. 

The MOD

To continue to welcome the MOD presence in Gibraltar warmly.
Not to lose sight that Gibraltar’s international importance and attraction is founded on its very desirable strategic geographical location at a trade route choke point.

Spain

Not to permit issues with Spain to overshadow any policies or objectives.
It is clear that Gibraltar wants continued British sovereignty but, within that, enhanced democratic self-government, so any dialogue with Spain, beyond that envisaged at the level of co-operation within the Trilateral Forum, is presently doomed to failure. Such dialogue is not a good use of time or effort by any of the participants in the Trilateral Forum.


There it is. It is not set in stone so have your say and tell your politicians what you are looking for from them by making a comment.