OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 9 July
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 14173 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 9 July 2015 The Council continued to meet at a quarter past Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, B.B.S., M.H. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, S.B.S., J.P. 14174 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, S.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN THE HONOURABLE NG LEUNG-SING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHI-CHUEN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 14175 THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KENNETH CHAN KA-LOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LEUNG THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. THE HONOURABLE TANG KA-PIU, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE CHIANG LAI-WAN, J.P. IR DR THE HONOURABLE LO WAI-KWOK, S.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN, B.B.S. 14176 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P., Ph.D., R.N. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 14177 PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE RIMSKY YUEN KWOK-KEUNG, S.C., J.P. THE SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE PROF THE HONOURABLE K C CHAN, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR MATTHEW LOO, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 14178 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 BILLS Second Reading of Bills Resumption of Second Reading Debate on Bills PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Council now continues with the Second Reading debate on the Special Holiday (3 September 2015) Bill. Does any Member wish to speak? SPECIAL HOLIDAY (3 SEPTEMBER 2015) BILL Resumption of debate on Second Reading which was moved on 27 May 2015 MR CHAN CHI-CHUEN (in Cantonese): President, a quorum is not present in the Chamber. PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Will the Clerk please ring the bell to summon Members to the Chamber. (While the summoning bell was ringing, a Member enquired what arrangements would be in place for the meeting in case the typhoon signal No. 8 was raised) PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): The Secretariat has been paying attention to the announcement by the Observatory. Once we know that the typhoon signal No. 8 will be raised soon, the meeting will be adjourned. We will surely manage the time well for Members to arrive home safely. (After the summoning bell had been rung, a number of Members entered the Chamber) PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Will Members please return to their seats. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 14179 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Does any Member wish to speak? MR CHAN CHI-CHUEN (in Cantonese): President, be it only one day or just once, I will support having an extra special holiday on 3 September this year because in general, Hong Kong people are working excessively long hours but enjoying too few holidays. However, we neither support nor agree with the move made by the Hong Kong Government in following the Chinese Communists to designate this day as a holiday for commemorating the victory over the war of resistance. Let us take a look at what the Government has put down in the document. "The year of 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression. The Central People's Government will organize a range of large-scale commemorative activities throughout the country and has also designated 3 September 2015 as a National Holiday. The HKSAR Government will also host various commemorative activities. To facilitate community participation in these activities in remembrance of history, we propose to designate 3 September 2015 on a one-off basis as both a General Holiday under the General Holidays Ordinance and a Statutory Holiday under the Employment Ordinance by way of a Bill." What is the reason? It is "to facilitate community participation in these activities in remembrance of history". If the Government wants to designate a holiday, just do it; otherwise, it can state clearly that it is pandering to the Central Government. There is no need for it to make up such an excuse. Although I do not agree with the spirit, I will not vote against it. At the most, I will just abstain from voting or leave the Chamber because after all, it is good for the wage earners in Hong Kong to have an extra holiday. What kind of a reason is "in remembrance of history"? This is only a one-off holiday, how can it help the people to remember history? If the Government wants the people to remember history, it should hold an examination and ask all employees and students to answer questions. Only those who get a passing mark can enjoy that holiday. In the speech he made yesterday, Dr LAM Tai-fai said he did not want this holiday to fall on a Thursday because employees would only need to take leave on Friday to enjoy four straight days of holiday for a happy trip to Japan. Who can control what their staff will do while they are on 14180 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 9 July 2015 leave? Would we require staff to go to church during the Christmas holidays, or bathe Buddha on the holiday marking Buddha's birthday? Of course we would not. However, this example which Dr LAM Tai-fai cited is a very fortunate one since that employee can go on a trip on Saturday. To those who are only entitled to statutory holidays, they have to work long hours and one extra day of holiday means an additional chance for them to have a break. President, you ruled that the 89 proposed amendments of Mr WONG Yuk-man were not admissible as they sought to designate another date to replace 3 September 2015 as an additional general holiday and an additional statutory holiday in commemoration of a particular event not being the 70th anniversary day of the victory in the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression. Indeed, if it is for remembrance of history, many historical events are worth remembering and people will query why the Government has just chosen this day to commemorate the victory in the war of resistance. Why has the SAR Government not chosen of its own accord the centenary of the 1911 Revolution to designate as a general holiday? The 1911 Revolution ended more than 2 000 years of feudal monarchy. Was that not of any major historic significance? Moreover, in their speeches, many Members said that upon the transfer of sovereignty, the SAR Government scrapped the Liberation Day holiday in 1999, citing the reason that Buddha's birthday had become a new holiday and it did not want to create an impact on the economy.