Despite these uncertainties, as we saw last week in the Budget, the Gibraltar economy continues to produce great results and Gibraltar remains stable in the face of these challenges. This is in large part owing to the stability the Government has injected through the MOUs and the tax treaty - despite the GSD’s opportunistic attempts to undermine them at every turn. Ensuring the stability of this economy is the key role of any Government. Conversely, it seems the Opposition interpret their role as requiring them to bring instability to the economy.

The Government’s view on the tax treaty has already been explained and is well known. Nothing has been conceded in the treaty. The tax treaty contains absolutely no sovereignty concessions at all. Indeed the Government considers that entering into a tax treaty is a recognition of our tax sovereignty and the very existence of our rights to our separate and distinct tax system. It cannot be otherwise. This is a reversal of the long held position by Spain where they have sought to challenge the legitimacy of our tax system at every possible opportunity and in every forum.

The Chief Minister added “I am disappointed the Opposition have sought to discredit my defence of Gibraltar at the UN. They are, as ever, playing into Spanish hands. I am looking forward to the debate on the tax treaty just as I relished the budget debate last week. The GSD are at worst lying about the tax treaty or at best drawing incorrect conclusions based once again on incomplete homework. As we saw last week in the Budget debate, people should not draw conclusions based on the GSD’s totally flawed logic.

The GSD are the party that entered into the Cordoba agreement which allows Spanish law enforcement control over the movement of Gibraltarians on the isthmus. The GSD are the party that did an illegal agreement for Spaniards to fish in our waters in breach of our laws. The GSD are the party that were prepared to take out the artificial reef we had properly created. "The GSD are not going to teach us in the GSLP Liberals how to defend Gibraltar’s sovereignty at every level. We know we have done so and that the GSD are lying to try to scare people into voting for them. It won’t work. People here are too clever to be taken in by their lies. But they will see that the GSD is letting Gibraltar down in our international fight for self-determination by publicly taking issue with a key plank of the logic of my address to the United Nations. In fact, the GSD are taking Spain’s side on this issue. That is unforgiveable and people will neither forget nor will they forgive them.”

20-06-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR