Privilege complaint turned down

The Speaker, Anton Tabone, yesterday turned down a breach of privilege complaint raised on Monday by Labour MP Joe Mizzi against Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett.

Mr Tabone observed that an exchange between the minister and Mr Mizzi had developed during Question Time while the minister was replying to a supplementary question.

Mr Mizzi had complained over the admissibility or otherwise of the reply given by the minister to another question which had not yet come before the House. That, therefore, had not been the proper time for Mr Mizzi to raise his complaint, Mr Tabone said.

Furthermore, the Chair was satisfied with the procedure adopted by the Office of the Speaker over the admissibility of that question. The Office had followed the same procedure for many years and several rulings made it clear that the Chair could not get involved into the merits of replies given to Parliamentary questions.

Mr Tabone, however, also recalled that he had commissioned a report on a revision of Standing Orders. He urged both sides to study it so that the orders could be updated as necessary.

The Chair was also calling for parliamentary questions on public matters to be answered as adequately as possible so that Question Time would serve its intended purpose within the parliamentary system, Mr Tabone said.