Since taking the helm of Tung Chee-hwa's beleaguered administration last year, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has been careful not to make promises he can't keep. 'To demonstrate that we are a credible, pragmatic and accountable administration, I will only include in this policy address those measures and policies that are capable of implementation within the current term of the government,' he said in his first policy address last October.
One year on, Mr Tsang is due to report on an array of policies and measures outlined in last year's speech, when he takes the stage to deliver his second policy blueprint in the Legislative Council tomorrow.
In line with his 'people-oriented' governance approach, Mr Tsang has held a large number of pre-policy address consultations in recent months - a total of 32 sessions compared with 27 in the run-up to last year's address.
Nevertheless, most pundits think it unlikely that tomorrow will bring drastic policy initiatives or bold action plans, with Mr Tsang having nine months left of the current term.
Sources close to the Chief Executive's Office have talked down the upcoming policy address in the past few weeks. 'If [Mr Tsang] has some brilliant new ideas, he will keep them for his re-election campaign,' one source said.
A member of the Tsang team said: 'It's election year. Next year will also mark the 10th anniversary of the handover. The upcoming policy address will be the best occasion for him to wrap up the past year and focus on ways to create harmony in the lead-up to July 1, for him to pave the way for the next five years thereafter.'