As acting chief executive, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was, it now appears, moving to shape the agenda for the remainder of Tung Chee-hwa's term just a month after his former boss resigned - even if he only announced he would run for chief executive after a change to electoral law in May.
Attending his first question time as chief executive at the Legislative Council on Monday, he set out his policy agenda, using as ammunition 'the voice of people' as represented by a comprehensive opinion survey commissioned by the Central Policy Unit.
Most CPU surveys are commissioned on a confidential basis for the use of the chief executive and his team. Results are not often publicised.
The survey, conducted in April when Mr Tsang was still the acting chief, found unemployment, better governance and pollution - in that order - topped a list of 25 policy areas people were most concerned about. Universal suffrage ranked 13th.
Mr Tsang told the legislators: 'You have your agenda. And I also have mine. But let's not insist which one is right. Just listen to the people.'
The views gathered from 1,200 respondents have clearly been turned into the basis of public opinion in Mr Tsang's game plan for the next two years.
