The opposition to the appointment of Executive Councillor Rosanna Wong Yick-ming as Chairman of the Housing Authority is excessive and the personal attacks against her are misdirected. Any complaints should be addressed to the Governor, who appointed her, and confined to questions of her competence to do the job. She should not be made a scapegoat for political dissatisfaction with the role and nature of the Housing Authority itself. It is hardly Ms Wong's fault that the authority is not a democratic institution. This is not in the nature of statutory authorities. The authority's role is to manage the territory's huge public housing sector as efficiently as possible, not to be used as a power base and publicity vehicle for ambitious politicians. The role of its chairman is to formulate housing policy, taking into account the advice of experts and board members, subject to the political, financial and regulatory decisions of the Government. Although, with the benefit of his own specialist knowledge, the chairman may try to influence Government thinking, democratic control over the administration should be exercised through the Legislative Council, not the board of the Housing Authority. Ms Wong may not be the perfect appointment. Her lack of experience in housing policy is no more a drawback than the average civil service policy secretary's lack of expert knowledge in the affairs of his branch. But her apparent lack of any serious management experience at the head of a large organisation or department makes hers a curious choice. An authority with an annual expenditure of more than $21 billion and a fundamental influence on the quality of life of half the population requires a chairman with a solid technocratic background. However, Ms Wong's social work background will give her some understanding and sympathy for the problems of public housing tenants. Meanwhile, her years of public service as an appointed member of both the Executive and Legislative Councils have shown her to be intelligent and effective in presenting a case and dealing with government. It is in that role that she may yet surprise both her critics and supporters. Far from meekly carrying out the Government's orders, she may prove to be a strong advocate of her board members' views in the corridors of power. The Government says her brief is to help Exco understand more about the authority's work and develop policies in the best interests of the community as a whole. If the criticism accompanying her appointment has achieved any good at all, it will be to ensure that she takes that aspect of her role as the authority's representative on Exco very seriously indeed.
