THE CUSTOMARY behind-the-scenes argy bargy went on at the Legislative Council this week when the Government tried to get the go-ahead to underwrite aviation insurance for six months.
The request was rejected out of hand during a bargaining break, and the time limit cut to three months. But once back in the council chamber, legislators ruled that out, too. At the next bargaining break, Secretary for Economic Services Sandra Lee Suk-yee explained that her department suggested six months because there would be too much paperwork involved if she had to keep returning to the council to have the term extended.
And how many sheets of A4 were involved in the first request? Four. Daunting workload, wasn't it? And this from a civil service with a productivity pledge.
Legco President Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai's word is law in the council chamber, but out of the office, things are different. When she asked her husband to ban legislators from visiting her at hospital after a breast-cancer operation, she probably did not expect some of her more independent-minded colleagues to obey.
No sooner had the decree gone out than Frontier legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing made her appearance at Mrs Fan's bedside. Ms Lau is not one to take orders, and was determined to say hello and wish Mrs Fan well.
Members leave political differences behind in the debating chamber, hence the reason another 'opponent', Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming, also insisted on visiting Rita with good wishes.