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Danny Gittings

Fireworks at Lunar New Year may be great fun, but as Tam Yiu-chung pointed out, having them every night might get a bit boring.

 Mr Tam, who represents the western New Territories, was worried about his constituents in Discovery Bay, who live next to the new Disney theme park. But the Government's response was hardly reassuring.

 It certainly didn't help when Tourism Commissioner Mike 'Mouse' Rowse pointed out how the park at Anaheim, California had been holding fireworks displays every night for 45 years.

 Or when he took refuge in bureaucratic jargon: calling the potentially affected residents 'noise-sensitive receivers'.

 Mr Rowse did say Disney would have to comply with existing laws on noise levels. But that will come as cold comfort given how lax these are, as those affected by everything from noisy jackhammers to overflying aircraft long ago discovered.

 The Government's sympathies seemed to lie more with its new private-sector partner.

 Mr Rowse even suggested existing licensing rules be relaxed, for fear Disney would otherwise be 'tied up in red tape when it comes to the fireworks display'.

 It was all part of a relatively easy ride for officials at yesterday's briefing of legislators on the theme park. Just for a change, it was clear why Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan was beaming so broadly.

 Democratic Party legislators may have managed to grab a disproportionate number of the question slots, provoking angry exchanges with Selina Chow and other Liberal Party stalwarts denied a chance to voice their views.

 But with public opinion running strongly in support of the Disney deal, most dared not attack too strongly. Instead they tried to pick away at details of the funding and spread scare stories about more imported workers. The Democrats' goal was clearly to try to convince the public that the theme park would not bring nearly as many benefits as officials were predicting.

 Only party leader Martin Lee tried to confront head-on the rationale behind the deal. He said only Mickey Mouse would believe this was an infrastructure project, a reference to the Government's excuse for abandoning its laissez-faire principles. But Acting Financial Secretary Rafael Hui could afford to brush such criticism aside, retorting there was nothing he could say if Mr Lee insisted on disagreeing with him.

 That reflected a confidence the Government has the votes to secure Legco's endorsement. The only question now is whether the Democrats will abstain, or vote in favour of a deal they were so busy sniping at yesterday.



Fireworks and other fuss as legislators' small explosions fizzle