“I tried to find a solution there and then, but nobody turned up to answer the parliamentary questions,” said Speaker of the House Michael Frendo.

During last Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting, there weren’t enough MPs for a quorum. The session was adjourned for 20 minutes but since a quorum was still not achieved at the end of the 20 minutes, the Speaker suspended the parliamentary sitting for Monday, with the same agenda. A minimum of 15 representatives, including the person calling a quorum, need to be present for a quorum to be registered. It is only an MP that can call for a quorum.

The Malta Independent quoted Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi who told this newspaper that the Speaker asked him what to do on the day in question. The Speaker vehemently denies this, and Joe Mizzi now “cannot remember” exactly what was said during the sitting.

“I did not consult with Labour Whip Joe Mizzi. I acted correctly and worked according to the rules,” added Dr Frendo. When asked to confirm, Mr Mizzi told this newspaper that his main concern is that the government did not have the decency to work on its programme, because many ministers were not present for the session.

Talking to this newspaper again yesterday Mr Mizzi said: “I walked out in protest against the government, and not against the Speaker. It is not fair that the government wasted the time for the opposition’s scrutiny of its work.”