Government rules out wider watchdog roles
Suggestions that there is a need to enact freedom of information legislation or to legally protect whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing by officials have been rejected by the government.
It also says there is no need to empower the Ombudsman to oversee human rights and medical matters, but it has agreed to extend the watchdog's jurisdiction over four more public bodies on top of the 80-plus organisations it already covers.
These are the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Civil Aid Service, the Consumer Council and the Estate Agents Authority. But the Board of Management of Chinese Permanent Cemeteries, and the Chinese Temples Committee, remain exempt.
The administration's stance, spelled out in a paper to the Legislative Council's administration of justice panel, follows a row with retiring Ombudsman Alice Tai Yuen-ying, who accused the government of being more interested in 'putting out fires' than in proper policy planning. The government noted an earlier report compiled by the Ombudsman, which highlighted several overseas experiences as pointers to possible changes to the watchdog's role.
But the suggestions have been rejected because they touched on government policies. 'There are no compelling reasons to suggest that dramatic changes should be taken at this stage,' the government said.
Ms Tai had also spoken out on problems regarding public access to government information.
But the government rejected the need for freedom of information legislation, saying the code of practice was sufficient. It also rejected suggestions that the Ombudsman could become a human rights commission, because it did not see an obvious need for a new watchdog.
The government's rejection of a new law on whistleblowers follows outrage over a witch hunt by the Immigration Department for staff who exposed deputy minister Greg So Kam-leung's use of his business card as proof of income when he applied to renew his maid's contract.
Suggestions that an independent medical ombudsman be appointed were also rejected, despite recent medical blunders.
