It's the functional constituencies, stupid
The pan-democrats have been preparing a public opinion offensive to seek support overseas ahead of the government's consultation on universal suffrage, due to begin before Christmas. One challenge they face is how to explain the ins and outs of Hong Kong's political system and all its associated complexities without driving their audience nuts - or putting them to sleep. That is where Anson Chan Fang On-sang comes in. Mrs Chan is preparing to fly off for a month-long tour of the United States, Canada and Britain next month. We don't envy her task, explaining to foreigners how just over 200,000 people and companies elect half of Hong Kong's legislature through trade-based functional constituencies. In recent years, ministers visiting from overseas have often complained over how pan-democrats tried to force-feed them the message of how undemocratic the functional constituencies are. Some diplomats have privately warned that such tactics will deter foreign sympathisers from backing their cause. Lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee sees it in simpler terms: 'If foreigners really care about Hong Kong, it is not difficult to understand the system we now have is a freak.'
The baby blunder that befell Audrey Eu
The baby mix-up at Queen Elizabeth Hospital has struck a chord with lawmaker Audrey Eu Yuet-mee. While acknowledging the recent case was, of course, more traumatic for those involved, something similar happened to her. Years ago, her mother was handed a baby at Queen Mary Hospital nursery but quickly realised the infant wasn't wearing the clothes that she had brought from home for her. The Civic Party leader says she does not know whether her life would have turned out the same if her mother hadn't noticed.
You heard it first from the DAB - again
With the largest membership among local political parties and a close relationship with Beijing, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong is sometimes dubbed the city's 'prospective ruling party'. Or perhaps it already is. Yesterday, DAB lawmaker Chan Kam-lam and secretary general Thomas Pang Cheung-wai revealed at a party press conference that the Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments would sign a co-operation agreement tomorrow on the development of the Qianhai area in Shenzhen - before the government announced it. They got the news from Shenzhen officials on a recent visit. A spokeswoman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau confirmed the plan, but said details had yet to be released. Readers may be reminded that DAB vice-chairman Lau Kong-wah quoted transport minister Eva Cheng as saying in a closed-door meeting that the diesel duty would be scrapped, just hours before the official announced it in the Legislative Council.
