OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 27
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 841 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 27 October 2011 The Council continued to meet at Nine o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.S., S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, S.B.S., J.P. 842 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 843 PROF THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KAM NAI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG SING-CHI THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP WAI-MING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PAN PEY-CHYOU THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE SAMSON TAM WAI-HO, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. 844 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN MEMBERS ABSENT: DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, G.B.M., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL SUEN MING-YEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION MR LAI TUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE TSANG TAK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 845 THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE PROF THE HONOURABLE K C CHAN, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE EDWARD YAU TANG-WAH, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HONOURABLE EVA CHENG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING THE HONOURABLE GREGORY SO KAM-LEUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND TAM CHI-YUEN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS MR YAU SHING-MU, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING MS FLORENCE HUI HIU-FAI, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MRS CONSTANCE LI TSOI YEUK-LIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS PERCY MA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 846 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Good morning, Members. Council shall now resume the meeting and continue with the debate on the first session. MEMBERS' MOTIONS MOTION OF THANKS Continuation of debate on motion which was moved on 26 October 2011 MR ALAN LEONG (in Cantonese): President, history will give every leading figure a fair assessment. A leader is not supposed to blow his own trumpet and rates himself. In the Policy Address, Donald TSANG summed up the administration of his governance for almost seven years, and he considered that most of the work have been well delivered and his performance is acceptable. However, President, during the term of office of the Chief Executive, Hong Kong's Gini Coefficient keeps rising. At present, it is already over 0.53, which is the highest in Asia. The poor population has increased from 1.19 million in 2009 to 1.26 million last year. Regarding the wealth gap, figures indicate that the difference in income between the highest and the lowest income families is almost 52 times. Home ownership is unattainable. Hong Kong people have to live in factory buildings, "sub-divided flats", "cage homes" or even "coffin-sized units". If you ask Hong Kong people whether their lives are better or worse today when compared with seven years ago when Donald TSANG first became the Chief Executive, I believe many people will say that the conditions have worsened a lot. Just telling from the situation mentioned above, I believe Donald TSANG's attempt to create a favourable report card for himself will go in vain. President, as we can see, people who were poor seven years ago stay poor today. Those who lived in "sub-divided flats" then continue to live in "sub-divided flats"; those waiting for Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats are still on the waiting list; and people who longed for universal suffrage can only keep on waiting. Even the modest hope ― immediate abolition of appointed LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 847 seats in District Councils ― was dashed. If the Policy Address is called "From Strength to Strength", we may as well say that members of the public are "from nothing to nothing". Over the past seven years, they get nothing. President, upon the delivery of his last Policy Address, Chief Executive Donald TSANG was accorded applause for a short moment. Recently, findings of the Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have shown that a week after the delivery of the Policy Address, people's satisfaction rate of the Policy Address had dropped by 10% to 33%, while the dissatisfaction rate had increased by 7% to 32%. In fact, 79% of the people considered that the various measures proposed by Donald TSANG would have little effect in resolving the wealth gap, and 59% of the people considered that the various measures would have little effect in relieving the pressure of the grassroots. The Chief Executive may consider this survey of the HKU an individual example. However, let us also look at the opinion survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of The Chinese University after the delivery of the Policy Address. According to the survey, the rating of the Policy Address was not much better than last year. It was only 52.7 points, having slightly increased by 0.3 points when compared with the survey conducted in the same period last year; 17.8% of the people even showed a decline of confidence in the Government's governance, which outnumbered the 16.5% who indicated that their confidence had increased. Telling from this, President, members of the public indeed have discerning eyes. The Policy Address can hardly rescue the grassroots living in dire straits. That is also the reason why the popularity rating of the Policy Address was high at the beginning but plunged in the end. President, before the delivery of the Policy Address, the Government kept leaking the news that the construction of HOS flats would be resumed in response to public aspirations. However, it turns out that people can only buy their first home until as late as 2016. He said that people can apply two years later, that is, in 2014, and then in 2016 they will be able to buy their first home. Yet in the next four years, only a total of 17 000 flats will be built. So members of the public have to continue to feed on false hopes. If we associate the former Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa with the number "85 000", then Donald TSANG will make us think of "17 000". President, how does this "17 000" come about? It is calculated from the time when Donald TSANG assumed office in 2005 to four years after 2016, since he seems to mention in the Policy Address that by then, 848 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 27 October 2011 5 000 flats would be constructed every year on average.