Against the backdrop of a public outcry over the West Kowloon cultural project and opposition from all camps, the government looks set to go ahead with the ill-conceived idea.
In an attempt to defend the 'single-developer' approach last Tuesday in a Legislative Council panel meeting, Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen listed 10 reasons in support of the approach.
These include a lack of unity, and infrastructure problems, in the case of auctioning the 40 hectares of land separately, and doubts over whether the property boom will last long enough for the government to sufficiently profit from rezoning - which takes four to five years. He also cited a lack of resources to auction off the land in separate plots.
Dismissing these as flimsy and illusory arguments, Democratic Party vice-chairman Lee Wing-tat moved a motion in the meeting against the government's contentious single-developer approach, restating fears that once a developer had been granted sole rights, it would be given free rein to maximise profits. With the support of major parties in Legco, the motion was passed. It was obvious that Mr Tsang's reasoning had failed to address the issue.
Cultural groups have never been thoroughly consulted over how the hub should be funded and built, and have voiced serious concerns about handing its building and management to a single consortium. Cultural groups have, in fact, started their own consultation process, in parallel with the government's, which smacks of discontent. There is no reason for the government to bulldoze through the plan if the public has not been thoroughly consulted, or if people have strong reservations about it.
To ensure public participation, the Democratic Party suggests that a new statutory body be set up, comprising members of various sectors, to manage the hub.
In an article published this week, Mr Tsang explained the need for Hong Kong to explore new ways of developing and funding cultural projects. Although this may not be the wrong approach, it is imperative for the government to ensure the proper procedures are followed in any scheme, including thorough consultation - something which is obviously lacking in this project.