Opinion | Legco gridlock a disaster of our own making
Mike Rowse says officials must start talking - and listening - to legislators
How on earth did a simple matter like donating HK$100 million to relief efforts after the recent deadly earthquake in Sichuan province run off the rails?
The answer is because legislators and the administration are not talking to each other. They are engaging in what the French call un dialogue des sourds - a conversation between deaf people. Or even not talking at all.
The people of Sichuan are our neighbours and friends. Of course we should help them after they suffer a disaster. The sum involved is modest and well within our means. Little brother Macau has already posted a cheque for a similar amount. For big brother Hong Kong to do the same should not be in the least controversial.
But - and it is a big but - we all remember that after we helped out last time, there was some questionable spending. A school built with our taxpayers' money was reportedly demolished a few months later to make way for a luxury housing project.
So how the money gets spent is potentially controversial and there is a need for stringent monitoring. The danger of corrupt officials getting a share of the action is real.
All this is patently obvious. Given the natural urge to provide assistance quickly, the next step should have been to urgently contact leaders of all the main political parties and hammer out a consensus. Is everyone OK with the amount? Give it all in a lump to the provincial authorities, or split it with some experienced non-governmental organisations?
Yet all the signs are that no such meeting was convened, nor was there even an attempt to reach out to all concerned by phone. Instead, the proposal was simply pushed out the day before a Finance Committee meeting, for a vote the next day. Is anyone surprised legislators did not respond well to such high-handed behaviour? My concern here is twofold. Instead of presenting ourselves as generous willing donors to help our fellow citizens in their hour of need, we come across as a bunch of grudging scrooges. That diminishes our reputation in others' eyes, and will surely come back to bite us when we need help in future.