His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar notes with regret yet another attempt by the GSD, and Mr Clinton, in particular, to politicise the constitutionally independent role of the Principal Auditor.

It is particularly troubling that, even before Mr Phil Sharman has taken up his post, the GSD has launched a second round of political attacks purporting to defend the very independence it is undermining through its statements. The Principal Auditor is not an instrument of any political party, nor should he be subject to commentary designed to pressure or coerce him into echoing the views of the Opposition.

The role of the Principal Auditor is to ensure value for money and to report on the use of public funds. It is not his place to determine policy or to act as a megaphone for the Opposition. The GSD’s insistence on conflating the audit function with policy-making is not only constitutionally flawed but also dangerous.

HMGoG continues to uphold the full independence of the Office of the Principal Auditor and will always respect its right to function without interference, pressure, or politicisation.

Additionally, for GSD to claim a moral high ground on accountability, after years of resisting transparency themselves, is ironic and unfair. It was the GSD who, during their time in office, failed to publish company accounts despite saying that they would. It was this Government who ended that silence and published ALL the accounts of Government owned companies, as it had promised to do.

Moreover, the Estimates Book now published by this GSLP/Liberal Government is substantially more detailed than any that existed under the GSD. It contains far more information and many more pages on our public finances than the GSD ever disclosed while in office.

If Mr Clinton were to apply his apparent public finance policy to his own party’s past record of Government to the same standards he now demands, he would realise that it is the GSLP/Liberal Government which has done the most to increase transparency and public access to financial information.

In so far as Mr Clinton’s repeated calls for a Public Accounts Committee, the Government reminds Mr Clinton that it has a clear manifesto commitment, and therefore a mandate, not to establish a Public Accounts Committee.

This position is based on the experience that such a committee, which only ever sat for one term, proved unsuitable for Gibraltar’s parliamentary structure and size. The Gibraltar Parliament already enjoys the power to examine expenditure in detail both during the budget debate and outside it. The GSD do not make full use of the tools available to them at the moment in this respect. The Government believes that it should be Ministers NOT civil servants who should be held accountable for public finances and it is precisely to shield public servants from politically motivated cross-examination that our policy remains in place.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said: “The GSD’s latest statement is another thinly veiled attempt to manipulate public opinion and pressure a constitutionally independent officer before he has even begun his duties. I am sure, however, that Mr Sharman will, as expected of his office, approach his role with the independence and impartiality that is his mandate under the Constitution.

“This Government’s record on transparency and accountability speaks for itself, and we will not permit that progress to be undermined by those who once buried information behind closed doors and now pretend to champion openness.

“We respect the Principal Auditor. We respect the Constitution. The GSD should do the same.”