MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Deputy President, ever since the Occupy Central movement, the Government has encountered tremendous obstruction from the opposition forces when taking forward livelihood and economic policies in Hong Kong. As the Chairman of the Finance Committee, I deeply understand how difficult it is for the Government to apply for funding. Despite Members’ willingness to hold additional meetings, delays in the Government’s work are inevitable and other legislative work is even slower than a snail’s pace. At that time, Hong Kong was in the midst of political strife. The opposition camp was aimed at gaining political advantage by means of stalling the Government’s policy implementation efforts and inciting public discontent. It was not until the occurrence of “black-clad riots”, where everything was taken to extremes, that the Central Government eventually stepped in to bring order out of chaos.
Now that violent assaults have basically subsided and the political system will be improved, I believe that the Government can be free from worries to make all-out efforts to improve people’s livelihood and the economy, and to resolve the deep-rooted conflicts. To be honest, following the improvement of the political system, I believe that the Government definitely has to do a good job in relation to the economy and people’s livelihood, otherwise it will let the people and the Central Government down over their entrustment.
Today, the “hot kitchen” has already returned to normal temperature. Not only is it unacceptable for officials and even frontline civil servants to do nothing, but it is even more incumbent upon them to have the courage to take on responsibilities, promptly address the pressing needs of the public, and seize on the current hard-won good situation to achieve something for the people. If they still achieve nothing, Hong Kong people will be very disappointed.
Many Members have offered quite a few insightful views today, with which I agree for the most part, so I am not going to repeat them. For the various recommendations to be implemented, I believe that the Government must adopt a new mindset and break the conventional mould to foster a new vision. Since the reunification, although civil servants would take on board the views of Members and the public, the Government’s internal views have remained key considerations in decision making. It is therefore crucial for officials to have a full and comprehensive grasp of public opinion.
I consider that the Government should adopt a new approach to incorporating views. At present, using confidentiality as a reason, the Government often holds discussions with Members only after a final decision has been made. On the surface, this is a sign of respect for Members, but as the policy has already been formulated, the so-called “general situation” is cut and dried, so Members are only being informed and there is actually no way to make any changes. Officials now have to manage resources and even juggle the interests of multiple parties, and they tend to avoid making mistakes, so they often stay on the conservative side. Moreover, they may not necessarily be able to grasp social changes. In contrast, Members have wide-stretching interpersonal and social networks, which enable them to know the needs of the community, so this strength is perfect for making up the shortcomings of officials. Therefore, officials should, adopting a new mindset, discuss policies with Members at every stage, from the drawing up to the concrete implementation, to ensure that they will not make uninformed decisions. Although these arguments may sound like cliché, it is time for the Government to earnestly look into this broken link in its governance.
In addition, the Government should have the courage to make choices in the course of policy formulation. If it tries to please everyone, it will end up dissatisfying everyone instead. In fact, if the Government has a good grasp of public sentiment, spends resources on addressing the public’s sore points, and sets priorities for distribution of benefits with the full engagement of Members, I believe that the outcome will be completely different.
The last point, also a very important one, is about explaining policies to the public. How can we highlight policy bright spots and, at the same time, make the public accept policy shortcomings? Actually, it all comes down to sincerity and honesty. Frank admission and correction of any mistakes, and hence the establishment of trust between the public and the Government, will make things much easier in the future.
Thank you, Deputy President.