Moves to suspend seven pre-handover laws failed yesterday when provisional legislators sought more time to study the bills, which mainly target workers' rights.
In a surprise move, the Government tabled a bill suspending the laws and asked legislators to enact it in one sitting today.
But they voted 15-11 to reject the move, deciding instead to give the bill its first and second readings today before establishing a committee to study laws passed by the pre-handover Legislative Council in its final sitting.
Democrats and unionists said the Government's move was aimed at helping big business.
Secretary for Education and Manpower Joseph Wong Wing-ping said the laws represented a major departure from government policy and could ultimately hurt the community.
'To avoid confusion and more problems, it would be better to suspend the laws immediately,' he said, stressing there would be consultation before a final ruling in September.
Unionist Executive Councillor Tam Yiu-chung said suspending the laws would give the Government and unions time to examine their impact. 'The move is extraordinary but . . . as a responsible government we have to make the decision.' But independent provisional legislator Eric Li Ka-cheung said it was wrong for the body's 27 new members to decide on the bills so quickly.
