Speak out against Tamar funding, public is urged
A Civic Party lawmaker and a harbour protectionist yesterday appealed to the public to say no to the $5.1 billion funding application for the Tamar project, which is expected to be endorsed by the Finance Committee on June 23.
They also urged the government to launch a three-month design competition to assess public views. Entitled 'Say no to Tamar. Say no to Finance Committee', the campaign includes public polling and a signature campaign over the next two weeks.
Civic Party member Alan Leong Kah-kit urged the administration to delay the funding application.
He said the fate of Government Hill remained unclear, as did solutions to air pollution. But the government was still asking for funding approval.
The Finance Committee will study the funding proposal after the public works subcommittee gave its approval last week to relocating the government headquarters on the Central waterfront site.
Emily Lau Wai-hing, of The Frontier, asked for Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to show evidence backing his claims that the project had received 70 per cent support from opinion surveys.
'If there is really 70 per cent of people supporting it, we will follow the opinion poll to support it,' she said.
Ms Lau, who chairs the Finance Committee, said the government could still postpone the funding application as it had yet to provide the agenda for the June 23 meeting. Former High Court judge Simon Li Fook-sean said he did not oppose Mr Tsang but said he bore the responsibility to remind the public to voice their opinions.
'I support him for re-election, but I don't support this policy. As chief executive, his performance is proactive. But the smartest person also makes mistakes. My opinion is that this policy is wrong.'
