Pan-dems’ threat not in public interest
The message was clear: the government must waive legal costs the court ordered the four disqualified lawmakers to pay and it must fix by-election dates to suit the pan-democrats. If the administration did not agree to these demands, he and the other pan-democratic legislators would filibuster at the Finance Committee meeting last Wednesday, the last meeting of the legislative year, so that the HK$3.6 billion would not be approved in time to benefit schools, teachers and students during the 2017-18 school year.
By taking this position, Mr Chu and his allies put their interests ahead of those of the public.
The by-election dates are to be fixed by the Electoral Affairs Commission, an independent statutory body. Is he saying that the chief executive should interfere with the commission’s decision for the benefit of the pan-democrats?
In the past, pan-democratic legislators have claimed that they were not filibustering but rather, the government was not providing enough information to support its applications for funds. What do the questions of legal costs and by-election dates have to do with whether or not sufficient supporting information has been provided?
Quite rightly, the government did not back down. Thanks to the firm but tactful way in which Chan Kin-por chaired the committee meeting (and the good sense displayed by most lawmakers, including those from the Democratic Party), the HK$3.6 billion was approved along with four other items on the agenda.