GSD Politicking is a Waste of Time with Hard Brexit Looming, says Government
It adds: "The fact is that Parliamentarians (which definition excludes Mr Azopardi) have been briefed repeatedly on how Gibraltar will deal with a hard Brexit scenario.
"On the medicines issues identified in the outdated, worst case scenario Yellowhammer report leaked to the Sunday Times, the GSLP Liberal Government has already taken all steps necessary to ensure continuity of supply. "Additionally, we have used the opportunity to ensure we procure more efficiently in the future, whether or not Brexit becomes a reality. The arrangements are now in place to ensure there is no issue with supply. The GSD's elected members were informed of this in the briefings provided by the Deputy Chief Minister, the Hon Joseph Garcia MP.
"On foodstuffs issues identified in the outdated, worst case scenario Yellowhammer report leaked to the Sunday Times, the GSLP Liberal Government has worked very hard to ensure that all arrangements necessary are in place so that a hard Brexit does not create any issues with the supply of such goods to Gibraltar. The GSD's elected members were also informed of this in the briefings provided by the Deputy Chief Minister, the Hon Joseph Garcia MP.
"On the key Port works issues identified in the outdated, worst case scenario Yellowhammer report leaked to the Sunday Times, the GSLP Liberal Government has already stated that the necessary Port infrastructure works have been procured and are underway in order to be completed in time for a hard Brexit scenario.
"On the issue of pending primary legislation, issues identified in the outdated, worst case scenario Yellowhammer report leaked to the Sunday Times, the GSLP Liberal Government has already legislated in Parliament in public and the only outstanding matter on the agenda of the Parliament is one piece of legislation, namely the European Union Withdrawal (Application of International Agreements) Bill 2019. The Withdrawal Agreement Bill itself will only be relevant if there is a Withdrawal Agreement. The GSD's elected members voted in favour of the other relevant measures and were present when the Deputy Chief Minister, the Hon Joseph Garcia MP has presented the relevant primary legislation. 617/2019
"The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, said: "These points address all of the issues identified in the outdated, worst case scenario Yellowhammer report leaked to the Sunday Times. So what is Mr Azopardi going on about? He just seems not to have followed the open, public debate in Parliament or to have been briefed by his elected parliamentary colleagues.
"On agreeing arrangements to try to secure frontier fluidity post Brexit Mr Azopardi himself has been calling for us to do so. Indeed, he has criticised us for not having done so to his satisfaction. So what is the surprise that he now feigns that we are doing that which we said we are doing and what he was calling for us to do? This is politics of the absurd. We don't have time for this nonsense now.
"Finally, I am sorry to have to say to him that it is not a personal attack to tell Mr Azopardi that he is unelected. It is the truth. It is not an a personal attack to tell Mr Azopardi to ask his GSD colleagues about the detail of the many briefings they have been given. It is not a personal attack to point out to Mr Azopardi that these issues have been debated in public and he has obviously either missed them or is pretending he has missed them.
"So it is frankly dishonest to pretend that the community has not been told these things. It is dishonest to pretend that the GSD would have done anything else or anything better. It is dishonest to pretend that any more could have been done.
"The fact is it is time for my political opponents to get real and care about Gibraltar more than playing the game of positioning themselves in a coming General Election.
"As Chief Minister, I have a responsibility to Gibraltar and to its people, and I take that very seriously as everyone would expect.
I consider my responsibility to the people of Gibraltar as a whole as Chief Minister to be greater than my responsibility to my party.
Some others, principally Mr Azopardi, seem to care more to jockey for electoral position than for Gibraltar.
"People will decide for themselves who has done more in the hellish past three years to prepare Gibraltar for the eventualities of a potential hard Brexit. One thing is for sure, it hasn't been the unelected Mr Azopardi or his divided party."
23-08-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
