The pledge by Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to base his policy programme on public opinion is a variation on a familiar theme.
For the past two years, Hong Kong people have repeatedly been assured by the government that their voices will be heard. Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa made such a promise after the mass demonstration on July 1, 2003. 'The government will listen more extensively and strive to strengthen communication with the public,' he said. In his policy address in January he spoke of the need to 'think what people think'.
Mr Tung, for all his talk of listening to the people, was not able to convince the public that this was being done. Mr Tsang promises to do better. He has the benefit of high popularity levels and the widely held desire for a fresh start.
But the new leader's approach to people-based government, outlined to lawmakers on Monday, raises some big doubts. On the positive side, Mr Tsang appeared in the Legislative Council only three days after being sworn in as chief executive. This backed up his declared intention to communicate more with legislators than his predecessor had done. He also made a point of stressing the importance of public opinion, telling lawmakers: 'You have your agenda and I also have mine. But let's not insist which one is right. Just listen to the people.'
This sort of sentiment will, no doubt, further boost his popularity. But good governance involves a great deal more than just listening to the people. Sometimes, tough decisions will need to be taken for the good of Hong Kong - and they may not always be popular. It is important to take public opinion into account when drawing up policies, but not to slavishly follow it.
There is also the question of how best to determine what the public really wants. The approach outlined by Mr Tsang on Monday was unconvincing. He attached great importance to a public opinion poll conducted on behalf of the Central Policy Unit. This was compiled by asking 1,200 people to rank 25 different policy areas in terms of their importance. Conveniently for Mr Tsang, livelihood issues rather than the more controversial political reform came out on top.
Unemployment, good governance and air pollution led the list of priorities. Universal suffrage was down in 13th place, below small-class teaching, central slaughtering for poultry and the need for a bus fare adjustment mechanism.