The acting leader of the Labour Party, Charles Mangion, today rejected the Prime Minister's offer for the Opposition to nominate one of its MPs to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Dr Mangion told the Labour media that this was a "Trojan Horse" offer which appeared generous but would actually see the government increase its parliamentary majority to two since the Speaker would lose his original vote as an MP. Furthermore, although the Speaker had a casting vote, there were legal parameters and practice which regulated how this vote was cast.
The government has a majority of one in the 69-member House of Representatives.
The Opposition proposed last week that until a new Labour leader was elected, the current Speaker, Anton Tabone, and the deputy speaker, Labour MP Carmelo Abela, would retain their posts. Mr Tabone did not. contest the last election
The deputy speaker, despite being an MP, does not lose his original vote.