Supporters say fighting Sars matters more, but critics insist he lacks integrity
Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung told legislators the scandal over his luxury car purchase was the biggest test of his life. Having heard his words, a majority decided he had passed the test and gave him a vote of confidence.
Mr Leung said he would not allow the controversy to interfere with his work and pledged to do his best to revive the economy in the aftermath of the Sars outbreak, as well as solving the problem of the fiscal deficit. But some lawmakers and academics said the damage to Mr Leung, the government, and Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's so-called accountability system had already been done.
The controversy concerned Mr Leung's purchase of a luxury Lexus 430 shortly before he introduced hefty increases in first registration tax for vehicles in his budget on March 5. Mr Leung failed on successive occasions to declare his purchase of the Lexus car to the Executive Council. He described this as an oversight and promised to donate the difference between the old and new tax rates to charity.
'I deeply understand that trust and support need time and results in order to be built up. I will more prudently and pragmatically serve the public and I hope I will receive support from legislators and the people,' said Mr Leung during the no-confidence debate.
Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said the debate had added nothing to the details of the scandal already made public. Calling for Mr Leung's resignation would not help Hong Kong recover from the economic downturn caused by the Sars outbreak, he said.
He said Mr Leung had learned from his mistakes and his fault was only a lapse of judgment. 'This breach [of the ministerial code] was negligence rather than a calculated deceit. It is, if anything, a sin of omission rather than a sin of commission,' Mr Tsang said.
