Craig Sacarello
I signed up to Together Gibraltar to embrace a new style of politics. Who isn’t bored with the current playground politics? Who isn’t tired of one party favouring the wealthy and the other only helping its closest friends and family?
I would like to put structures in place to make the system a fairer one, based on the merit of the individual and not the connections he or she might have. Everyone deserves a chance to improve their situation and to achieve their aspirations. But we don’t want handouts.
We want to be given the tools with which we can develop a career, afford a home for our families, provide for our children, care for our elders and establish a decent level of financial stability. For this, Gibraltar needs a government that affords opportunities for all.
On the one hand, improving conditions for the poor, the discriminated against, people battling the health service and those living on the margins of society. But on the other hand, our working women and men, people with good jobs who are looking at ways to continue their development but are currently hitting glass ceilings. Our economy relies on our ability to retain home grown talent and attract talent from overseas.
We want to provide a fair system where people can strive for and achieve their goals.
As a business owner, the son of a newsagent, an Economics graduate and former Vice Chairman of the GFSB, I understand and feel the pressures and threats that companies are experiencing. Now more than ever, all business sectors need a government that truly understands and supports them.
In order for our economy to flourish and be resilient to external threats like Brexit;
We need to diversify and find innovative ways to attract new inward investment.
We need to be prepared for changes in the global and local economies which call on a different skill base.
And we need a workforce that is equipped to support this.
Our investments will be targeted at the youth as well as re-skilling existing employees. Of equal importance is a comprehensive apprenticeship scheme to meet the demands of the manual labour market. Skilling our youth and up-skilling our current workforce will form an important part of our economic development. Our education must be geared towards preparing all of our youth to be able to participate in and contribute positively to our society.
How we spend your money and where it is planned to go should be visible for you to see and not hidden away in government-owned companies that remain invisible, off balance sheet. We will make this a reality.
Fairness and opportunity can sit well alongside ambition, in the right context. I am ambitious for Gibraltar. I dream of a sustainable Gibraltar which invests in a cleaner and brighter future for our children. They will have to be ‘Generation Green’, however we should choose to be.
Like our economy, our environment also requires solid investment. Apart from our responsibility globally, we also deserve to be treating our own community and our surroundings with respect.
Why should our health be put at risk from the harming effects of air pollution?
Why should the community suffer from a range of health and stress-related issues so a few people can make some profit?
There has to be a balance between the benefit of a few and the general well-being of the rest of us.
We have a plan for this.
I am never prouder of our community than when seeing how much good we are capable of doing, how we strive to help others feel better. This is human nature at its best and it is what makes us happy.
My experience of voluntary work within the community has exposed me to some wonderful people and to the brighter side of human nature. As Chairman for Research into Childhood Cancer (RICC), I have seen great acts of kindness and felt real sympathy and empathy in our community.
My work with the Young Enterprise scheme helping students learn how to run a business and in coaching rugby to young children has shown me how much potential lies in our youth. We need to tap in to and unleash their potential.
Although I am loyal and have every faith in my fellow party members, I also have independent thoughts and will always stand by my values. My primary principle in politics will be to do what is right and best for Gibraltar. I am delighted to be working with Marlene Hassan Nahon who is conscientious and upstanding. She has already shown strength in her convictions time and again as an independent MP.
I am fortunate enough to have plenty of friends in Gibraltar, some are even members of the other parties. I learnt from a very young age, that life is too short for negativity or shameless name-calling. My focus will be on working with people on developing positive, progressive ideas for Gibraltar.
I am working for you and your concerns are my concerns.
You matter to me; your voice will be listened to.
Our history is littered with examples of survival against the odds. We overcame these because we worked in harmony for each other. Together, we will thrive.
It will be a privilege to stand as a candidate for Together Gibraltar; a party that will breathe fresh air in to local politics and deliver a much-needed progressive, caring and considerate governance to Gibraltar.
Contact Craig
You can get in touch with Craig directly by emailing him at craigsacarello@togethergibraltar.net