Bill likely to wait until October
Further discussion of the new national security bill amendments at Legco's bills committee is unlikely before October, when the next Legco term begins, the committee chairman said yesterday.
Ip Kwok-him said the timetable for the committee to discuss amendments made by the government on Saturday would depend on when the government wanted to resume the bill's second reading.
Mr Ip said if the government felt it was urgent to resume the second reading, the committee might need to discuss the amendments during Legco's summer recess.
'However, this is unlikely because my understanding is that the government doesn't have an urgent need to resume second reading. The government said it would wait for 'an optimal time',' he said.
Mr Ip said the committee would not be disbanded until the bill was passed.
'Right now we have to see what the government wants. There have been precedents when some bills were deferred, some for a few months, others for more than a year,' he said.
'As the committee chairman, I will discuss with the government later on when we should resume discussion on the new amendments. But I don't feel like it's the right time to do it now. I don't think I will call for a meeting before the next Legco term starts in October.'
Under Legco rules, since the debate has been adjourned, the officer in charge, Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee in this case, has to give Legco 12 days notice if the government wants a resumption. Pro-democracy legislators have urged the government to specify a date for a second reading.
