Greg So says 'no thanks' to Canada
People may still recall that undersecretary for commerce and economic development Greg So Kam-leung was forced to give up his foreign passport soon after his appointment last year. So, a former vice-chairman of the Beijing-loyal Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said he had applied for Canadian citizenship to be eligible to practise as a lawyer there. More than a year after the saga, he said yesterday that he would be able to work as a lawyer in Canada again. He recently received a letter from the Canadian authorities, telling him that a change in legal-practice requirements would allow non-Canadian citizens to practise in the country. But after all the controversy, So said he had no plan to return to Canada after all.
Yesterday's rivals are today's allies
As Beijing's top cross-strait negotiator Chen Yunlin remarked on his latest Taiwan trip, the trade negotiating table had brought mainlanders and Taiwanese together to realise what they had failed to achieve in the past 60 years. Now, a local version of rivals-turned-friends will see another pact signed soon. The League of Social Democrats, which fiercely attacked the Civic Party in last year's Legislative Council election, said it would sign a memorandum of understanding with the party next month. The deal will lay down how the two political groups should co-operate on their plan for five lawmakers to resign, and for the subsequent by-elections. 'We will exchange texts. This will make everything clear to the public,' league vice-chairman Andrew To Kwan-hang said.
Exco's Leung bids to raise his profile
Executive Council convenor Leung Chun-ying is flexing his muscles. Leung, widely tipped to run for chief executive in 2012, has started a weekly column on a popular blog, featuring his observations on various issues. Those in the know say Leung is talking to a television station and a radio station about the possibility of hosting current affairs programmes next year. These will certainly give him more public appearances before the race formally begins.
