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Move to deny ministers their pay for 'poor work performance'

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung will not be the only minister facing a call to have his salary deducted from next year's budget when lawmakers debate and pass the government's spending proposals next month.

For the past few years pan-democrats have sought to deduct Lam's salary from the budget on the grounds that he has done nothing to speed up the city's democratisation.

Pan-democrats have decided to extend the same treatment to at least four other ministers who they think should bear the blame for the budget's lack of initiatives in their policy areas.

None of the amendments stand any chance of being passed because of the opposition of government allies.

'This will be a symbolic gesture to highlight people's dissatisfaction with the ministers' work,' said Democrat Lee Wing-tat. 'It doesn't matter by how much we cut their salaries. Even HK$1 will be sufficient.'

Ministers are each paid HK$282,076 a month.

Lee will be moving amendments targeting the salaries of Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng on the grounds their urban planning and housing policies are a failure. Education minister Michael Suen Ming-yeung and Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung will face similar amendments.

Unionist legislator Lee Cheuk-yan said: 'Matthew Cheung cannot resolve the long-term problem of the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the budget also did not do enough to help the workers.'

The pan-democrats have yet to decide how long their hit list should be; they worry that if they exempt some of the 12 ministers, people may think the camp approves of their performance.

Pan-democrats are also expected to move amendments to strike out the budget for paying police informants, which Democrat James To Kun-sun sees as a covert means of monitoring dissidents.

Government-friendly parties have yet to announce plans for any amendments.

Despite criticism from many quarters of the budget's lack of sufficient measures to limit the rise in property prices and help the underprivileged, none of the major political parties say they will seek a veto of Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah's spending proposals.

Smaller packet

Ministers' salaries were cut last year by 5.38 per cent

A minister now earns this amount (in HK dollars) a month: $282,076

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