Parliament briefly suspended after Rosianne Cutajar refuses to retract claim against Acting Speaker
Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar accused Acting Speaker David Agius of ignoring her during Question Time
Tuesday’s plenary session was briefly suspended towards the end of Question Time after Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar refused to withdraw her claim that the Acting Speaker of the House had been ignoring her.
At the start of the session, Cutajar accused Acting Speaker David Agius of ignoring her and other Labour MPs when choosing who should ask the first question of the day. She argued that Labour MPs had raised her hands before the Opposition MP that was given the floor, and insisted that there should be an alternation between government and opposition MPs in line with parliamentary practice.
Agius defended his decision. He said the alternation system had been respected since a Labour MP had been the first to ask a question during Monday’s session.
Later in the session, when Cutajar was given the floor again, she sarcastically thanked the Acting Speaker for not ignoring her this time. Agius asked her to withdraw the comment, insisting the she had not been ignored.
When Cutajar refused to retract her statement, Agius suspended the sitting, ending Question Time five minutes early.