LIKE the financial secretaries who went before him, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen does not want to depart from tradition: he will go home and have lunch with his wife before addressing the Legislative Council in his first budget on Wednesday.
'My colleagues say it is a tradition, don't stop it,' he said. 'I don't know why. But it's meaningful to me. I have seldom gone back home just for a lunch with my wife.' Elevated to the top financial post six months ago, Mr Tsang is convinced there are good traditions for him to adhere to in managing Hong Kong's finances.
A firm believer in the factors that will keep Hong Kong ticking in the future, such as low tax and restrained spending, he says: 'Convictions and beliefs should not be changed, especially when you believe there is already a very successful formula there.
'We should not opt for a different direction unless there are errors. I think the economy of Hong Kong is good and we are able to improve our livelihood. We should not make hasty changes. Drastic changes are not good for Hong Kong.' That does not mean, however, that he is not ready to listen to different voices, as some claimed was the case when he used a Greek myth to explain why the Government rejected demands to freeze public fees.
For Ulysses to survive the sweet but destructive songs of the Sirens, he filled the crew's ears with wax, Mr Tsang wrote in the South China Morning Post.
Conceding that he would have to be more careful when choosing analogies in future, Mr Tsang is adamant that what he believes is right.
'What I want to say is that after you have listened to and studied various views and taken a decision you should not shift your position,' he said. 'You should stick to your principles.
