Ruling by Deputy Speaker elicits laughter

A RULING by Deputy Speaker, Basil Williams elicited laughter from Members of Parliament (MPs) on both sides of the House yesterday.It happened when he stated that two contentious assertions “cancel out” each other, and no apology from either side was required.
Attorney-General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall, and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) frontbencher, Mr. Carl Greenidge were the Parliamentarians exchanging words on the floor at the time.
The AG was speaking on a Motion to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the torture of persons by the Guyana Police Force between 2006 and 2013, when Greenidge rose to object to a point he made.
“He is a liar!” Greenidge charged.
Government Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira, rose, on a point of order, to point out that referring to a sitting MP as a liar is unacceptable, and called for a retraction.
Greenidge, without retracting his remark, said:“The Honourable Member made an assertion that is untrue.”
The Deputy Speaker intervened to rule that both sides of the House had exchanged contentions comments, and as such they “cancel out” each other.
Throughout the remainder of the session, heckling using the terminology “cancel out”, in much the same way childish disputes are rationalised, were echoed by MPs.