A pro-government lawmaker wants to cut down on opposition filibusters by limiting the number of amendments each legislator can propose during committee debates.
Ip Kwok-him said on Tuesday that each lawmaker should be limited to proposing only one amendment for any government spending proposal under discussion in the Finance Committee.
His goal is to ensure “smooth proceedings” in the Legislative Council, said Ip, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city’s largest pro-government party.
He dismissed concerns that his suggestion would weaken the power of legislators to scrutinise proposals. “This is what we should do to make sure our meetings go smoothly,” he said.
“Each legislator can still raise one amendment. There are 69 legislators [excluding the Legco president], and therefore 69 amendments [are possible] for every proposal.”
Ip said he would propose the change during a Finance Committee meeting on Friday.