Paul John Balban | |
---|---|
Government Minister | |
In office 2011–2023 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Gibraltar |
Nationality | British (Gibraltarian) |
Political party | Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) |
Spouse | Gina |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | Oxford Brookes University King's College London |
Occupation | Politician Dietitian Taxi driver |
Portfolio | Minister for Transport |
Website | Paul Balban at the Government of Gibraltar website |
The Hon. Paul John Balban is a former Gibraltarian politician, State Registered Dietitian and former taxi driver. He was first elected to the Gibraltar Parliament at the 2011 general elections and was a Gibraltar Government Minister until 12 October 2023, member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP). He is married and has three daughters. On 15 September 2023, he announced that he and fellow party MPs and Ministers, Albert Isola and Samantha Sacramento, would not stand for re-election.
Paul Balban is married to wife Gina and has three daughters. [1] For many years, Balban has worked as a taxi driver in Gibraltar, [1] and was treasurer of the Gibraltar Taxi Association Committee. [2] He studied Nutrition & Food Science at Oxford Brookes University and also has a Postgraduate degree in Dietetics from King's College London. He later became a State Registered Dietitian, practicing at Central Clinic, in Horse Barrack Lane, Gibraltar. [1]
Balban was nominated for the GSLP Executive in February 2007, [3] and was one of the ten GSLP-Liberal alliance candidates to contest the general elections that year, but failed to be elected as one of the seventeen Members of Parliament. [4] He was elected into government following the general elections of 2011 with 8,281 votes. [5] The newly elected Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, appointed Balban as Minister for Traffic, Health and Safety and Technical Services. [6]
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Neil Francis Costa is a Gibraltarian barrister and politician affiliated to the Liberal Party of Gibraltar (LPG). In December 2011 he was elected an MP to the Gibraltar Parliament and was elected Minister for Tourism, Public Transport, Commercial Affairs and the Port. After the Ministerial reshuffle of December 2014, he became Minister for Business and Employment. In October 2016, he was appointed Minister for Health, Care and Justice. In October 2019, Costa confirmed his decision that he would not seek re-election and returned to work as a barrister.
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A by-election was held to the Gibraltar Parliament on 4 July 2013 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Housing Minister Charles Bruzon in April 2013. The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP), Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and an independent contested the by-election. The Liberal Party of Gibraltar who is in alliance and in Government with the GSLP backed the GSLP's candidate.
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