Ministers back CM in confidence vote 

Government ministers voiced fulsome support for the Chief Minister on Wednesday night as Parliament debated a ‘no confidence’ motion tabled by the Opposition. 

The GSD had for months called on ministers to distance themselves from Fabian Picardo, first over his handling of the debate on the former Principal Auditor and more recently following the findings of the McGrail Inquiry report published in December. 

The motion expressing no confidence in the Chief Minister would, had it succeeded, have likely led to a general election. 

In the event, it was amended by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, not to voice ‘no confidence’ in Opposition Leader Keith Azopardi as was originally planned, but simply to say that the Parliament had confidence in Mr Picardo. 

The debate on the motion came after two days of intense discussion in Parliament on the McGrail Inquiry report and later on the protected disclosures made by police whistleblowers.  

On Wednesday evening and into the night, MPs on both sides of the House returned to the same ground covered in detail in the preceding debates. 

Opposition MPs repeatedly highlighted the fact that the Openshaw Report had found Mr Picardo attempted grossly improper interference in a police investigation.  

They said he should resign and that any ministers who supported Mr Picardo would have to own not just those failings but also the Government’s response to the Principal Auditor’s report, which was to “trash” the auditor and use Parliament to “usurp” his functions. 

The Chief Minister has said he is considering a judicial review of the Inquiry report’s findings against him but Mr Azopardi, addressing Parliament, said that “today, the findings are what they are”. 

He urged ministers to reflect on their position in the face of what the GSD believes was “an assault” on democratic institutions and constitutional rights. 

Gibraltar, he said, “has to consider what the consequences of that are and needs to consider it in the context of what it means to be in public elected life and what the standards are and what the examples are that we are giving people.”  

“Because people are watching and young people are watching.” 

“And what example are we giving?” 

“Are we really saying it's okay for someone to hold office who has been found to have attempted to interfere in a criminal investigation, not once but several times?” 

The first response from Government benches came from Dr Garcia, who said the GSD motion would carry “explosive implications” if passed and would be “a serious error”. 

He said the Chief Minister merited the confidence of Parliament because of a track record that included his leadership during the unprecedented challenges of Brexit and the Covid pandemic, both of which had placed onerous demands on him. 

He said too that Gibraltar required a stable government capable of navigating future challenges including the delivery of the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar. 

He dismissed too the Opposition’s claims that, by bringing to Parliament the Government’s concerns about the Principal Auditor’s report and the Inquiry, it had undermined Parliament and constitutional protections. 

The GSD’s complaints were simply “more of the same”, he said, warning too about polarisation fuelled by opinions on social media based on “party political narratives” and not facts. 

He noted too that the GSD knew it did not have the numbers in Parliament to approve its motion, which suggested its purpose was “highly questionable” and ignored a long list of GSLP/Liberal achievements in recent years ranging from new schools and healthcare improvements to progressive equality policies and economic growth. 

The GSD’s appeal to Government ministers to support the motion was “self-serving, unrealistic and naive”. 

Dr Garcia said it was legitimate for the Government and the Opposition to robustly defend diverging political positions. 

“What is not healthy is to use political differences, however legitimate they be, as a cover for a character assassination,” he said. 

What followed was a rehearsal over earlier positions as MPs on both sides of Parliament, one after another, got to their feet to set out their views. 

“This is a nuclear option because unfortunately this is the only thing they understand,” said GSD MP Roy Clinton. 

He said other parliamentary mechanisms including questions resulted in “zero information” from the Government. 

“The reason we’re here is because they have weaponised this Parliament against the people.” 

Sir Joe Bossano, the Minister for Economic Development, did not mince his words. 

“We fully support the Chief Minister,” he said. 

“We don’t accept that he should resign or should go.” 

“And indeed, if we could, we would persuade him to not go and stand again for the next election.” 

The Chief Minister caused some nervous laughter when he later acknowledged that last message and said he might consider it, only to immediately rule it and, once again, make clear that he would not be standing again. 

GSD MP Joelle Ladislaus called on ministers to consider deeply the findings of the Openshaw Report and reach their own conclusions on the findings against the Chief Minister. 

“Ministers shouldn’t vote under the pressure of a political party, they should vote under the pressure of their own conscience and not blind allegiance,” said GSD MP Joelle Ladislaus. 

The response to that observation came from Nigel Feetham, the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry. 

“I don’t know how many times over the last weeks we have actually repeated the same statement, that each and every one of us on this side of the House has full confidence in the Chief Minister,” he said. 

“And no pressure whatsoever. At no point in time was anybody asked by the Chief Minister to come here or go publicly and make any statements of support on his behalf.” 

The debates this week had offered “a salutary lesson in party unity and collective responsibility”, he added. 

GSD MP Damon Bossino said the Government had conducted a “political assassination” of the former Principal Auditor and was now “gunning” for former police Commissioner Ian McGrail. 

“This is a matter of principle that we’re debating here,” he said. 

This was not “a minor disagreement” between politicians as had been suggested by the Government, but “something much more fundamental”. 

“This is something that goes to the root of principled politics and the quality of our democracy.” 

Dr John Cortes, the Minister for Environment and Heritage, accused the GSD of “disrespect” not just for the Chief Minister but for Gibraltar as a whole. 

“That we should hear the Honourable men and women opposite, most of whom have done, so far, very little for Gibraltar, casting aspersions on the Chief Minister actually offends me and should offend every Gibraltarian who has lived on this Rock of ours in the past decade and a half,” he said. 

He said the Opposition had gone “well beyond” certain conclusions in the Inquiry report to “denigrate” the Chief Minister while ignoring other findings, adding this was premature before the outcome of any judicial review. 

He said this “damages Gibraltar at a critical time, more in fact than it damages the Chief Minister”. 

Housing Minister Pat Orfila praised the Chief Minister’s “vision and leadership”, adding Mr Picardo had always acted with “transparency and integrity”, and had acknowledged errors of judgement and engaged with the Inquiry report’s recommendations. 

“However, he is entirely right to challenge those elements of any report that is flawed or unfair,” she said, adding that in doing so he was “standing up for due process”. 

“Any person, and that includes you and me, has the right to set the record straight.” 

Christian Santos, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, accused the Opposition of “grasping at straws” to try to “tarnish the Chief Minister’s reputation” with a “pick and mix” approach to the Inquiry report. 

He acknowledged the criticism of the Chief Minister in the report but said this was not the same as “adopting the narrative that some would now like to impose”. 

“This is not scrutiny in good faith or for a positive purpose, it is political opportunism and a recognisable pattern of how the Opposition operate using any means necessary to demean and attack our Chief Minister.” 

The Opposition was “ignoring his track record and the progress he has delivered” during “during some of the most difficult times” in Gibraltar’s recent history. 

Gemma Arias Vasquez, the Minister for Health and Business, highlighted the Chief Minister’s handling of Covid and the treaty negotiation. 

“The Chief Minister of a territory of 38,000 people has sat with the Foreign Secretary of the UK, the Foreign Secretary of Spain and a leader of the EU,” she said. 

“Gibraltar, UK, Spain and the EU sat together at the negotiating table.” 

She said that was “politically extraordinary”, adding: “Do we honestly think that the Leader of the Opposition could have achieved this?” 

Leslie Bruson, the Minister for Sport, also placed on the record his “unreserved support” for the Chief Minister. 

He said he had always believed that all MPs, irrespective of political differences, share “a common goal, the best interests of Gibraltar”. 

“For that reason, it deeply saddens me to hear accusations that go far beyond legitimate disagreement, with allegations which, in my view, are inconsistent with how a modern Gibraltarian Parliament should conduct itself,” he said. 

Mr Bruzon said he hoped the GSD motion was “a misguided attempt at playing to the public rather than a picture of what’s to come in Gibraltar politics”. 

Such politics, he added, “not only weakens our institutions, it weakens our Gibraltar”. 

The Chief Minister also addressed Parliament and echoed his view of the GSD motion as a “destructive approach to politics”. 

“If this is the first motion of no confidence presented in respect of a Chief Minister…it is because no one in the past has thought that that was the right way to do politics in Gibraltar until Keith Azopardi could not get in through the ballot box and tries to get in in this way,” he said. 

He thanked his ministerial colleagues for their “most remarkable demonstration” of confidence in him. 

In closing the debate, Mr Azopardi said the ministers had not addressed the issues raised by the Opposition about the Government’s on the former Principal Auditor or the findings of the McGrail Inquiry report. 

He said the motion of ‘no confidence’ was “not a numbers game, it’s a matter of principle”, and was a constitutional mechanism that had been used in the past in respect of governments and was available in many other countries. 

“It’s there to be used in exceptional circumstances…and these are exceptional circumstances,” Mr Azopardi said. 

“If we look at the circumstances and don’t think they’re exceptional, then we’re not looking hard enough.” 

“And the facts. It’s not us personalising the findings, it’s the Inquiry personalising the findings…and they bite hardest on the Chief Minister.” 

Mr Azopardi said the Chief Minister had “weaponised Parliament” and acted in a “dark and sinister way”, adding there was “a better way” of doing politics without transgressing boundaries. 

He regretted that the Government had amended a ‘no confidence’ motion and turned it into a motion expressing confidence in the Chief Minister. 

“But at least one thing is clear,” he said, looking at the ministers opposite. 

“That they now own and condone all the improper actions too.” 

The amended motion was passed by Government majority.