OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 13 April
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 6235 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 13 April 2017 The Council continued to meet at Nine o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, G.B.S., J.P. PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN, 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., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. 6236 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG# THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHI-CHUEN THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN, 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. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK WING-HANG THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN # According to the Judgment of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 14 July 2017, LEUNG Kwok-hung, Nathan LAW Kwun-chung, YIU Chung-yim and LAU Siu-lai have been disqualified from assuming the office of a member of the Legislative Council, and have vacated the same since 12 October 2016, and are not entitled to act as a member of the Legislative Council. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 6237 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. 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 ALVIN YEUNG THE HONOURABLE ANDREW WAN SIU-KIN THE HONOURABLE CHU HOI-DICK THE HONOURABLE JIMMY NG WING-KA, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE JUNIUS HO KWAN-YIU, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HO KAI-MING THE HONOURABLE HOLDEN CHOW HO-DING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-FAI THE HONOURABLE WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. 6238 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 THE HONOURABLE HUI CHI-FUNG THE HONOURABLE LUK CHUNG-HUNG THE HONOURABLE LAU KWOK-FAN, M.H. DR THE HONOURABLE CHENG CHUNG-TAI THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHUN-YU THE HONOURABLE JEREMY TAM MAN-HO THE HONOURABLE NATHAN LAW KWUN-CHUNG# DR THE HONOURABLE LAU SIU-LAI# MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG # According to the Judgment of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 14 July 2017, LEUNG Kwok-hung, Nathan LAW Kwun-chung, YIU Chung-yim and LAU Siu-lai have been disqualified from assuming the office of a member of the Legislative Council, and have vacated the same since 12 October 2016, and are not entitled to act as a member of the Legislative Council. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 6239 THE HONOURABLE LAM CHEUK-TING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-CHUN THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LAU IP-KEUNG, M.H., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE YIU CHUNG-YIM# PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE NICHOLAS W. YANG, J.P. FINANCIAL SECRETARY PROF THE HONOURABLE ANTHONY CHEUNG BING-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING DR THE HONOURABLE KO WING-MAN, B.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE ERIC MA SIU-CHEUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MS ANITA SIT, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR MATTHEW LOO, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL # According to the Judgment of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 14 July 2017, LEUNG Kwok-hung, Nathan LAW Kwun-chung, YIU Chung-yim and LAU Siu-lai have been disqualified from assuming the office of a member of the Legislative Council, and have vacated the same since 12 October 2016, and are not entitled to act as a member of the Legislative Council. 6240 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 GOVERNMENT BILLS Second Reading of Government Bills Resumption of Second Reading Debate on Government Bill PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): This Council will now continue with the Second Reading debate on the Appropriation Bill 2017. Members who wish to speak will please press the "Request to speak" button. APPROPRIATION BILL 2017 Resumption of debate on Second Reading which was moved on 22 February 2017 MR KENNETH LEUNG (in Cantonese): President, when the Financial Secretary spoke on the Budget, he spoke at great length explaining public finance objectives and directions as stated in paragraphs 22 to 54 of the Budget. Mrs Carrie LAM, the newly elected Chief Executive also talked about the new financial management philosophy. However, the philosophy of financial management or public finance management mentioned by the former Financial Secretaries including Sir Charles Philip HADDON-CAVE during the British Hong Kong era, and his successors Mr Donald TSANG, Mr Antony LEUNG, Mr Henry TANG and Mr John TSANG include two aspects. First, the role of the Government in the market. While some Financial Secretaries considered that the Government should intervene more, others considered that a free economy should be pursued. The Government should only provide an efficient platform for stakeholders to compete fairly in the market. The second aspect of public finance is about the amount to be spent by the Government. This involves whether the Government should promote some policies that benefit the public and the economy in certain areas. In general, this is related to whether the market should be tilted to the left or the right, and the amount to be spent. President, allow me to deviate slightly from the subject. When we are selling Hong Kong to foreign enterprises, we always flaunt how well Hong Kong is doing according to international economic indicators. For example, in 2016, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 6241 Hong Kong ranked first among 61 countries or regions according to the world competitiveness index published by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland. Another economic indicator often cited by Hong Kong is the Index of Economic Freedom published by the America's Heritage Foundation and Hong Kong has ranked first for many years. Nevertheless, President, another indicator that I am more concerned about is the Global Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum. In 2016-2017, Hong Kong ranked ninth among 138 countries or regions. We should be satisfied with this ranking but if we look carefully at the analysis made by the World Economic Forum on the performance of Hong Kong in relation to various factors included in this indicator, we would be worried. For example, in respect of public health and primary education, Hong Kong ranked 26th among 138 countries or regions. Many Honourable colleagues have already talked about primary education, TSA, etc., in Hong Kong and I am not going to elaborate on that. In regard to innovation, we unexpectedly ranked 27th. Regarding this Budget, I would like to set an updated or a more ambitious goal to transcend this financial management framework. Our emphasis is not the positioning of Hong Kong in the market or the amount that should be spent; we should instead lay emphasis on the long-term goal of Hong Kong. President, I would like to propose a new industrial chain integrating three key industries, namely the financial industry, the innovation and technology industry and the green or environmental industry and introducing new initiatives. What is the relationship among the three key industries? In fact, it is the general trend of the world to integrate the innovation and technology industry, financial industry and green or environmental industry. As Hong Kong is a small and densely populated city, large-scale industrial development certainly cannot be carried out. When it comes to re-industrialization, I am not sure what industries are involved. We have talent but we do not have land; thus, we can only engage in the development of high-end technologies. But how will high-end technologies benefit human beings? Of course, high-end technologies can provide convenience to human beings and facilitate sustainable environmental development, which is also the general trend of the world. This sounds great, but how should this be implemented? 6242 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 13 April 2017 President, has the Budget stated how integration of the financial industry, innovation industry and green industry that I mentioned will be implemented? Undeniably, the financial industry is a very important industry, accounting for 18% of the Gross Domestic Product and employing up to 250 000 people.