The Liberal Party is ratcheting up its challenge to the Civic Party over its stance on foreign domestic helpers' rights to permanent residency.
Yesterday, the pro-government party published a quarter-page advertisement in three Chinese-language newspapers asking its rival what it would do if judges rule that domestic helpers resident in the city for seven years or more are entitled to permanent residency.
Human rights activists accused the Liberals of scaremongering, while the Law Society said political parties could risk contempt of court if they tried to prejudge the merits of the case. Law Society president Junius Ho Kwan-yiu said critics should avoid making comments that could risk contempt of court.
In their advertisement, the Liberals accused the Civic Party of evading the question of whether it believes foreign domestic helpers are entitled to permanent residency.
Gladys Li, a barrister and Civic Party founder, is representing the first helper to bring her case to court, Evangeline Banao Vallejos, a Filipino helper who has worked in Hong Kong for 25 years. The High Court will hear a judicial review of her challenge to the Immigration Ordinance.
'The Civic Party has never talked about its stance on the residency fight. Is it on the side of Hongkongers or on the side of foreign maids?' asked Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, the Liberal Party's vice-chairwoman, in the advertisement. 'The public has the right to know.'
Alan Leong Kah-kit, leader of the Civic Party, said domestic helpers should be given permanent residency if they could fulfil immigration requirements - including having a stable income to maintain their families and themselves, and pay tax.