It was welcome news there would be no overnight legislative session last night given that lawmakers and officials had already started fumbling out of exhaustion. At one point, Legco president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai mistakenly took a vote on an amendment proposed by Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee after the government amendment on the clause had already been passed. Ms Ng herself misread and criticised an amendment proposed by the government and after impassioned speeches from the democrats against it, retracted her remarks and apologised. Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong also had to concede it had been a long few days when he addressed Democrat Albert Ho Chun-yan on an amendment actually proposed by his colleague Fred Li Wah-ming. Correcting himself after prompting by his aides, he then went on to address Mr Li as 'Li Ming-wah'. The false alarm about an overnight session saw lawmakers and officials bringing tooth brushes, shampoo and spare shirts in sport bags to the chamber. Meanwhile, officials sent to monitor the whereabouts of allies in Legco to make sure they were present to vote got an earful from at least one lawmaker. After James Tien Pei-chun, leader of the Liberal Party, was quizzed on where he was going whenever he stepped out, he blasted back: 'It's none of your business. Even my wife wouldn't dare ask me where I am going and when I will be back.' Mr Tien later brought his displeasure to the attention of the security chief, who asked his underlings patrolling the Legco corridors to leave Mr Tien alone. 'I have to apologise to the government minders, because they were only doing what their boss told them to do,' Mr Tien said later.
