Celebrating 15 years of success for Gibraltar
Security, stability and prosperity
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Gibraltar has never been better
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Celebrating 15 years of success for Gibraltar I n 1996 we promised to make Gibraltar proud again and to restore real security, stability and prosperity. It is easy to forget just how far we have come as a community during these last 15 years under the GSD Government. I n this booklet, and to mark our 15th Anniversary at the helm of Gibraltar’s destiny, we set out to remind you, and to record the success of our vision for our country, for you as an individual, and for the well-being and standard of living of your family. Our economy has tripled in size, the number and quality of jobs has grown very significantly, our income tax rates have fallen dramatically, standards of living and take home pay have risen sharply. We have renewed our city and many of our vital institutions. We have invested most heavily in modernising and upgrading the most important things: our health service, our care services, our education and our housing. We have tackled head on many of Gibraltar’s historical problems. We have restored Gibraltar’s reputation and good standing in the world. We have strengthened our political position as a people and advanced our self-government, while retaining close links with Britain, and crucially, we have greatly strengthened Gibraltar’s defences on the Spanish issue. In short, even when economies and societies around much of the world are struggling, Gibraltar has never been better and is now a much, much better and happier place to live in, politically more secure and constitutionally more advanced than it was in 1996. And so, as we prepare to ask for your trust in our experience, vision and committment to continue with the privilege, but great responsibility of guiding Gibraltar’s progress and success through an increasingly unstable and dangerous global, political and economic environment, we look back, momentarily, at what 15 years of GSD Government has meant for Gibraltar, for you and for your family. Peter Caruana Chief Minister & Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats
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Investing in Gibraltar and its future “To keep Gibraltar successful.” New St. Bernard’s Hospital
New International Airport Terminal
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Mid Harbour Estate
Waterport Terraces
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Investing in Gibraltar and its future Albert Risso House
Cumberland Terraces and Bayview
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Devil’s Tower Road Car Park
Trafalgar Interchange
Dudley Ward Tunnel
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Investing in Gibraltar and its future
King’s Bastion Leisure Centre
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Europa Point
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Camber Marina for small boats Westview Park Promenade
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Investing in Gibraltar and its future
Tercentenary Hall and Sports Complex
Casemates Square
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Pool for the elderly
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Law courts
New prison
Crematorium
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Economy “ A successful economy – at the heart of a successful Gibraltar.” One achievement has made all of the others possible, namely the great success of our economy. This success has been based on the key ingredients of high reputation and high standards and high investor confidence in Gibraltar and its governance. It has required us to reposition and reinvent our finance centre and our tax system. But the hugely successful results are plain for all to see.
•E conomic growth: The economy has tripled in size! • J obs: record high. There are now 20,975 jobs compared to 12,975 in 1996. That is 8,000 (or 62%) more! • L iving standards: record increase. Take home pay has risen 90% (during a period when inflation has been only 37%)! •G ibraltarians in jobs: record high. 10,706 now compared to 9,390 in 1996, an increase of 1,316 or 14%! •H uge falls in income tax: – Personal tax burden fallen by up to 66%! – Company tax rate fallen from 35% to 10%! •P ublic debt: Yet, net public debt remains VERY LOW by international and economic measure!
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Successful tourist industry
•B udget surpluses: record high. Government has produced almost £200 million in budget surpluses. •C apital investment: Over £650 million has been invested by the Government in Gibraltar and its future.
Thriving retail economy
Global Crisis Gibraltar has been protected – even during the most difficult economic and financial crisis, felt in other countries during living memory.
Lathbury Barracks Industrial Estate
Busy shipping industry and ship repair yard
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Tax “ Our heavy tax-cutting has left more money in your pocket and thus raised your family’s standard of living.” The GSD Government has cut personal tax every year that it has been in office. We said that one of the ways in which we would distribute the wealth created by the success of the economy was by cutting taxation so that more of your earnings stay at home, to be spent as you choose, and to raise your family’s standard of living. True to our word, we have cut personal tax on a huge scale that is totally unprecedented in the history of Gibraltar. While all taxpayers have seen very significant cuts in income tax, low-earning workers and pensioners have been huge beneficiaries of our tax-cutting policy. Many people will not have taken stock of the huge reductions in taxes and in the effective rates of income tax over this period.
Earnings up to
Max. effective tax rate NOW
Max. effective tax rate in 1996
£ 8,000 p.a
0%
21.4%
£ 15,000 p.a.
less than 11%
27.7%
£ 20,000 p.a.
less than 15%
31.4%
£ 25,000 p.a.
less than 17%
35.0%
£ 40,000 p.a.
less than 20%
40.5%
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Large reductions in income tax • Introduction of Gross Income Based System slashes income tax of people with few allowances • Cuts in the maximum effective rate of tax of between 43% (for individuals who earn £50,000, representing a tax saving of £9,028 a year) and 66% (for individuals who earn £10,000, representing a tax saving of £1,575 a year) • Very significant reduction in tax rates (see chart on page 12) • The maximum effective tax rate is now 24.99% (and this not reached until income of £300,000) and the rate begins to fall thereafter. (In 1996 the maximum tax rate was nearly 50%) • Of people who pay tax, 43% now do so at an effective rate less than 15%, and 85% at less than 20% •B ig cuts in Social Insurance Contributions for low paid, part time and casual workers • Big increases in personal allowances • New tax allowances: Health insurance; nursery fees; children studying abroad for all children; low income earner’s allowance; low income earner’s tax credit; senior citizen’s allowance
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Tax
Taxes ABOLISHED altogether: • Income tax for low earners (up to £8,000 p.a.) • Income tax on pensions • Income tax on Community Care • Income tax on savings & investment income • Income tax for senior citizens (up to £10,887) • Income tax on student jobs • TV licence fee • Road tax • Stamp duty on properties up to £200,000 • Death duty
• Company tax cut from 35% to 10% • Import duty reduced to zero or cut in half on many goods
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Abolished income tax on pensions
Reduced income tax resulting in more take home pay
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Parking, traffic and transport “ Tackling Gibraltar’s historical traffic problems.” No Government has ever carried out a more intense and sustained programme of measures and investment to tackle head on Gibraltar’s historical problems with traffic, road capacity, parking and public transport.
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Trafalgar Interchange – ease of traffic flow
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Parking, traffic and transport “ Better roads & traffic flow.” New parking spaces
Commonwealth Parade
Sandpits parking
Willis’s Road Car Park
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Landport Ditch parking
New Harbours top floor public parking
Devil’s Tower Road multi-storey car park
Parking at Catalan Bay
Parking at Eastern Beach
Together with hundreds more parking spaces in Waterport Terraces, Cumberland Terraces, Bayview, Nelson’s View and the Mid Harbour Rental Estate, which further relieve public street parking. • Ragged Staff Car Park (under construction) • Engineer Lane Car Park (under construction) • Arengo’s Car Park (under construction)
Parking schemes • • • • • • •
Motorcycle parking Estate Resident Parking Schemes District Resident Parking Schemes Segregation of car and motorcycle parking Removal of derelicts New body of Highways Enforcement Officers On the spot fines for foreign vehicles
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Parking, traffic and transport New roads • • • •
Upper Town relief road Chatham Counterguard Dudley Ward Tunnel access Europort to Coaling Island
New Eastern Beach Road
New Upper Town link road
Dudley Ward Tunnel Sir Herbert Miles Road
Chatham Counterguard
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New Europort / Queensway Road Waterport Road
Widened and realigned roads • • • •
Dudley Ward Tunnel access Devil’s Tower Road Europa Road New four-lane road and tunnel to frontier (under construction)
Dual carriageway Devil’s Tower Road
New roundabouts & traffic flow schemes • • • • •
Trafalgar Interchange & roundabout Upper Town ‘one way’ scheme Winston Churchill Avenue Interchange & roundabout Line Wall / Casemates Hill roundabout Main Street South / Secretary’s Lane / Lovers’ Lane traffic flow reversal and one way system
Trafalgar Interchange Lovers’ Lane
Winston Churchill Avenue
Main Street (South)
Coaling Island roundabout
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Parking, traffic and transport
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Upgraded Ferry Terminal
New Coach Terminus
New bus service • New buses • ‘Off road’ bus stops • New bus shelters
Upgraded Cruise Terminal
New buses
New terminal at Gibraltar International Airport New bus shelters
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Housing
“Standards and quality matter.�
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Mid Harbour Estate •T he first Government housing estate to be built since Varyl Begg Estate in the 1970s •4 92 Government houses for rental; built to high and modern standards
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Housing – Government rental housing • 1 ,200 high quality rental homes provide for those who cannot afford home ownership and for the elderly • Designed and built for quality living environment Albert Risso House
Edinburgh Estate
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Bishop Canilla House
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Rental housing at Mid Harbour
– Improving the living environment in older estates • I mproved service to Government tenants through new reformed Housing Works Agency • Refurbishment of Government rental blocks
• Lift installation • Estate resident parking schemes • Better estate cleaning arrangements • Children’s playgrounds •G overnment tenant ‘right to buy’ scheme for post-war houses •R eduction from 21 to 18 of housing list eligibility age
Laguna Estate
Varyl Begg Estate improvements: • Re-roofing • Lifts • Re-painting • Landscaping • Playing facilities
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Housing – Affordable homes •8 00 quality, well-built affordable housing units – a new standard of home ownership Cumberland Terraces
Nelson’s View
Waterport Terraces
Bayview
Castle Steps building
Flat Bastion Road building
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Calpe Barracks restoration
– Making good inherited problems with previous home ownership estates – quality second time around
Harbour Views
Brympton
Montagu Crescent
Other housing initiatives • Abolition of stamp duty up to £200,000 • Reform of Housing legislation Montagu Gardens
•L ands Agreements with MOD to release many homes for home ownership •S oft loans to home ownership and other housing estates Security, stability and prosperity
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Health “Investing most where it most matters.�
A modern and well-equipped hospital 30 | Security, stability and prosperity
Accident & Emergency ward
Three-bed ward
Critical Care Unit
CT Scan Unit
Operating theatre
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Health – Huge expansion of medical services •A nnual health expenditure quadrupled from £20m to £80m •T he number of consultants, doctors and dentists more than doubled from 33 to 70! • 100 extra nurses • Health workers more than doubled from 428 to 870 • ‘ Agenda for Change’ delivers important improvements for health staff
• A new, professional emergency ambulance service • Modern and upgraded laboratory •M any new services locally, including Dialysis, Mammography, CT scan and Ultrasound •U pgraded Critical Care Unit and Accident & Emergency Department
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New Mental Health Hospital (under construction)
•A ‘root and branch’ external clinical review of all areas of medical service to raise medical standards, safety and establish modern operational protocols •M uch improved financial support for sponsored patients including an end to household means testing • Private practice in hospital abolished •A new Mental Health Hospital is at an advanced stage of construction at ex Royal Naval Hospital • A new cancer relief centre and hospice (about to open)
New cancer relief centre at ex BFBS building, South Barrack Road
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Care services “ Remembering to provide for and support the most vulnerable in our community.” In 1996 our Care Services were practically non existent, and what little there was, was provided by private charities. Throughout the last 15 years the GSD Government has set out to develop more modern and well-resourced Care Services to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community also benefit from our economic success.
• Establishment of comprehensive Care Agency • Annual spending up 700% from less than £2m to nearly £15m • Care Workers increased from 110 to 510: 400 extra • Number of social workers up from 7 to 25 •M odern, co-ordinated and structured care services, especially child care • Counselling services
Claire Borrell House: a halfway house for women at Lopez’s Ramp
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Family service
Child protection
• • • •
• • • •
reakdown support and advice B Improved financial support Dedicated social worker team Specialist judge and quicker access to courts • Parenting plans • Modernised legislation
hildren’s Act C Fostering service Counselling service Dedicated social worker team and new homes
Disability services • • • • • • • • • •
I mproved Dr Giraldi Home Structured respite Improved financial support Mobility aids Roads design Swimming pool Beach access New city buses Anti-discrimination legislation Blue Badge parking
Bruce’s Farm: our own drugs and alcohol rehabilitation service
Tangier View: flats for children in care
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The Elderly “ Looking after those without whose efforts and sacrifices Gibraltar would not be what it is today.” • • • • •
No tax on pensions! No tax on savings income! No tax on any income below £10,887 Old age pensions up by 85% 900% increase in elderly care annual spending • No death duty! • No social insurance contributions for over 60s • No driving licence renewal or medical test fees • No passport renewal fees • Chances to complete contributions for full pension • Guarantee of minimum income • Working pensioners keep Community Officers fee • High savings income through high interest, tax free pensioner Government debentures • Cataract and knee operations initiatives • Lift installation programme • Domiciliary care • Specialist residence for sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia at ex Royal Naval Hospital (in progress) • New day hospital and day care centre (in progress) • New residential home at old John Mackintosh Wing (in progress)
Physical activities programmes
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Specialist residence for sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia (under construction at ex RNH Europa Road)
Mount Alvernia taken over by Government, doubled in size and quality of care vastly improved
Albert Risso House
Computer courses
Pool for the elderly
Bishop Canilla House
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Sports and leisure “Playing our part.�
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Fitness Gym
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King’s Bastion Leisure Centre The finest example of an historic monument being put to modern use
The King’s Bastion Leisure Centre includes activities for young and old
Bars, cafĂŠs and restaurants
Bowling
Amusements zone
Cinema
Ice skating
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Sports and leisure
Improved rowing clubs
Sandpits Tennis Club
Tercentenary Hall and Sports Complex
Petanque Club
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Outdoor keep-fit equipment
NEW sports hall, playing fields, watersports and other facilities at Bayside Sports Centre
Summer Nights
Tercentenary Sports Hall
•E xcellent free sports facilities •R efurbishment of the old sports hall at Victoria Stadium •E stablishment of Sports and Leisure Authority
GASA Pool
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Sports and leisure
Eastern Beach
Upgraded and beautified beaches
Camp Bay
Catalan Bay
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Sandy Bay
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New and improved leisure areas
Ocean Village
Casemates Square
Camber Marina for small boats Pool for the elderly
New and improved playgrounds such as: Edinburgh Estate Laguna Estate Europa Point Varyl Begg Estate Westview Park Promenade
Laguna Estate playground
Edinburgh Estate playground
Westview Park Promenade
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Culture and heritage “Enriching our lives.�
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Culture and heritage – Many cultural and community events • Concerts • Art exhibitions • National Day & Week events • Calentita Festival • Summer Nights • New Year’s Eve celebration at Casemates • Spring and Autumn Arts and Culture Festivals •F unding for hosting international cultural, sports and leisure events in Gibraltar • Accumulation of National Art Collection
The Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery
Evacuation Monument
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Ince’s Hall Theatre refurbishment
National Day
Calentita Festival
Retrenchment Block premises for clubs and associations
Central Hall The Old Bakery premises for clubs and associations
Europa Retreat Centre
Garrison Library
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Culture and heritage – Restoring and reusing our historic walls, bastions and buildings
King’s Bastion Mediterranean Steps
Castle Street building
Orange Bastion King Charles V Wall
Calpe Barracks
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Old Colonial Hospital at ex St. Bernard’s Hospital re-exposed (new school in progress) Flat Bastion Road refurbishment of old barrack buildings
Landport Ditch Chatham Counterguard
World War II Tunnels
Wellington Front
Moorish Baths
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Beautifying our City “ Enhancing our urban environment.” The extensive programme of beautification projects has not only enhanced the quality of our lives and of public amenities, it has also transformed the way Gibraltar looks. Our City has never looked better.
• Many Government housing estates and buildings refurbished • Uncluttering and exposure of City Walls • Almost all official public buildings beautified King’s Bastion
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Main Street
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John Mackintosh Square
Cathedral Square
Fish Market Road/ Chatham Counterguard
Europa Point
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Beautifying our City Pedestrianisation of City Centre and expansion of planted areas Irish Town
Casemates Square
Enhancing our urban environment • Casemates Square, John Mackintosh Square, Cathedral Square • Main Street, Irish Town, Engineer Lane, Bell Lane & other City Centre streets • Trafalgar Interchange • Catalan Bay Village • Public Market & Market Place • King’s Bastion • Camp Bay • Orange Bastion • Europa Point • New Frontier fence • Westview Park Promenade • Bayside sports complex • Waterport & Waterport Road • New bus shelters • Sir Herbert Miles Road & • New public toilets Winston Churchill Avenue • Children’s playgrounds • Dudley Ward Tunnel Access • New airport terminal • Eastern Beach Road • Ocean Village • Lovers’ Lane • Expansion of planted areas • Fish Market Road / • New bin stores (in progress) Chatham Counterguard • Castle Street (in progress)
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Trafalgar Interchange
Catalan Bay Village
New bus stops
Westview Park Promenade
New public toilets
Europa Road pavements
Public Market and Market Place
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The natural environment “Caring for our nature and where we live.” • Gibraltar Waters Management Plan • Energy Efficiency Action Plan • Energy performance certification • Dust Mitigation Guidelines • Consolidated Waste Management Plan • Air quality action plan • Air and water quality monitoring
• Climate Change Programme • Dedicated Environment Ministry and officers • Independent, expert Epidemiological Study • Open planning laws •N ew power station (in progress) Europa Point
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Mediterranean Steps
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Alameda Gardens
Trafalgar Interchange
•B ig increases in green and planted areas •R emoval of water catchments and re-vegetation of sand slopes
• Environmental Charter and Action Plan Westview Park Promenade
• Annual Environment Report • Gibraltar brought up to date with EU Environmental Directives Security, stability and prosperity
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Citizens’ rights, safety, democracy and justice “A safe, fairer and more open community.” • New Constitution – updated human rights & self governance • Establishment of Ombudsman • Establishment of Citizen’s Advice Bureau • Unprecedented transparency of government • Open planning laws • Establishment of consultation processes and Councils for laws and policies • Much extended, fair and open tendering • Online publication of all laws of Gibraltar • Elimination of anti-women discrimination from Gibraltarian Status • Much improved public statistics • Comprehensive Government website • Improved police accountability through establishment of Gibraltar Police Authority • Increased size RGP and new police legislation • Improved police resources and intelligence gathering and sharing • Establishment of Judicial Service Commission
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New law courts
New court rooms
Refurbished faรงade
Refurbished court rooms
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Citizens’ rights, safety, democracy and justice
• Equal Opportunity legislation • Data Protection legislation • Huge improvement in position of Moroccans in Gibraltar • Huge relaxation in Civil Servants’ political restriction • Establishment of Civil Contingency Committee & emergencies response plans • Effective management and response to emergencies such as swine flu, bird flu, Fedra & New Flame • Overhaul and modernisation of crimes and other important legislation • Underage drinking legislation • Reform and modernisation of Court Service • Improved access to justice • Reform of Family and Children’s legislation • Independent health and housing appeals processes
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Civil Contingency Committee
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New prison
Interior of prison
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External and constitutional affairs “ Keeping Gibraltar safe and fulfilling our rights and aspirations as a people.”
•T rilateral forum: own voice, open agenda and veto • Gibraltar and sovereignty never more secure Cordoba Trilateral Agreement
• Defeat of infamous joint sovereignty policy •N ew UK commitment not to even discuss sovereignty against our wishes •N ew Constitution that maximizes our self-government and enshrines our right to self-determination for the first time •G ibraltar’s political position and economy successfully projected in UK, Spanish and other international TV and newspapers •L itigation in international courts to uphold our rights in tax, waters, EU voting and sporting issues
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Mass demonstration
Referendum
•R esolution of telephone numbering and roaming issues, recognition of ‘350’, an end to Gibraltar airport’s exclusion from EU aviation liberalisation, pensions case resolved with UK funds, improved frontier fluidity (inc red and green channels)
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External and constitutional affairs
• Establishment of non-political mayoralty • The end of Brussels meetings and bilateralism •E stablishment of Gibraltar’s Civil Awards: Gibraltar Medallions of Honour and Distinction •G ibraltar’s political stature and standing restored • Hugely successful annual Gibraltar Day in London
New Gibraltar House in London
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New Constitution document
Issue of ‘Queen of Gibraltar’ coinage
New Gibraltar House in London
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Education and training “ Investing in our young people to ensure their and Gibraltar’s future success and prosperity.”
• Big increase in teacher numbers • Big investment in school halls • Change in school hours – lunch • Big investment in special needs pupils • Big investment in computers for schools
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Westside School
Bleak House
• Big increases in university grants • End to parental contribution for university grants • Continuing commitment to free university education despite big fee increases in UK
• Wide range of vocational training courses
Hebrew School
• Wide range of adult education courses
Department of Education
• Extensive development & training opportunities for Civil Servants • Wide range of apprenticeships and job placement schemes
St. Joseph’s First School gym hall
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Employment and workers’ rights “ Ensuring that workers benefit from Gibraltar’s economic success like never before.” • Take home pay rises 89% (inflation only 37%) • Minimum wage rises 69% (inflation only 37%) •S tatutory redundancy pay rights and insolvency fund protection extended to all workers
• 8,000 extra jobs in economy (+62%) • MOD and ISP job security protected •G ood public sector agreements negotiated with trade unions in agencies, authorities, companies and Government departments •U nfreezing and big increases in unemployment and industrial injury benefits • P ensions and other public sector terms for employees of Government companies •A n end to ‘joint venture companies’ and workplace intimidation • An end to obligatory annuities •B ig cut in social insurance for low paid, part time and casual workers
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• Record number of Gibraltarian jobs • Lowest unemployment rate in Europe • Tax on occupational pensions abolished at age 60 • Income tax abolished for workers earning less than £8,000 p.a.
•E qualisation of industrial and non-industrial terms in Civil Service •F air pension for Civil Servants with break in service •B ig increases in trainee allowances and other terms
• I ntroduction of a ‘spouses’ and children’s’ pension scheme in Civil Service
•B ig increase in apprenticeships, training and job schemes
•F amily friendly hours for parents of young children in Civil Service
•U nemployed Moroccan workers given free access to job market •L ong-term supply workers made permanent and pensionable •S heltered/supported employment schemes for the vulnerable Security, stability and prosperity
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Gibraltar has never been better
Published by the Gibraltar Social Democrats Gibraltar Social Democrats 1a College Lane, Gibraltar www.gsd.gi Photography from various sources Persons featured in photographic images in this publication should not be assumed to be expressing any allegiance to the GSD. Design by Miura (www.miura.gi) Š2011 GSD
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