Speaker Carmelo Abela has ruled that a statement issued by the Nationalist Party about parliamentary proceedings was not correct, ordering that the party be asked to make the necessary corrections.The ruling followed a complaint by Government Whip Naomi Cachia over a PN statement issued on 28th September, titled “Government blocks Parliament from discussing Opposition Bill that would implement recommendations of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Public Inquiry.”At the centre of the dispute was a meeting of Parliament’s House Business Committee held that same day. The Speaker noted that three Opposition motions were listed as pending, including a motion concerning the implementation of recommendations from the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry.However, the Speaker said the Omnibus Bill referred to by the PN was not among the pending business, was not mentioned during that committee meeting and, as of Monday’s ruling, had still not been formally presented by the Opposition.Abela therefore concluded that the PN statement was incorrect in the way it reported what happened during the committee meeting, saying its interpretation of events was “based on incorrect premises.”While acknowledging the Opposition’s call for private members to be given more opportunities to bring proposals before Parliament, the Speaker stressed that political interpretation is free, but “the reporting of facts is not subject to interpretation.”The Clerk of the House has now been instructed to send the ruling to the Nationalist Party’s communications office so that the necessary corrections are made to its 28th September statement.•