Nationalist MP Ċensu Galea yesterday took the chair for the first time since his election last week as Deputy Speaker, during the parliamentary debate in committee on the Mepa Reform Bill.
When Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco, who is piloting the Bill, congratulated him on the new post, Mr Galea, who to date had taken an active participation in the committee proceedings, said that in this instance he would have preferred to be still sitting on the government benches to continue to participate.
After about 90 minutes, committee chairman Frederick Azzopardi (PN) took over and Mr Galea went back to his active participation.