CPPCC chairman Jia Qinglin unwittingly handed pro-democracy and unionist legislators a gift yesterday.
So many pro-government and pro-business legislators attended a dinner in his honour that a motion demanding the introduction of a universal retirement scheme sailed through the Legislative Council.
'Thanks to Jia Qinglin, now the legislature speaks with one voice, and passed the motion,' said Lee Cheuk-yan. 'We should have added other demands, such as calling on the government to let old people see the introduction of universal suffrage in their lifetimes.'
The motion, moved by health services sector legislator Joseph Lee Kok-long and amended by Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, of the Civic Party, called for improvement of welfare for the elderly, by introducing a retirement scheme.
A similar motion was voted down in April, because lawmakers of the Liberal Party and The Alliance said it would add to the burden on government finances.
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok said the government was aware of the city's ageing population, and that it had been working on policies to ensure their well-being.