The freedoms which we enjoy today are a result of China's munificence.

Does anyone really think that if at some time in the future China wanted to take away our freedoms, that a chief executive and legislature elected by universal suffrage is going to stop that? A dose of reality is needed here.

And what if Mrs Chan and friends are wrong? Little if anything medium-term for them, but Hong Kong people could suffer from an overambitious step. Is it not better to take a small further step towards the ultimate goal, consolidate and show our readiness for the next step?

What Hong Kong people need to do is to consider how to take advantage of the opportunity which is being granted to them by the mainland in such a way so as to continue to enjoy the high quality of life we have today, a large part of which is the result of our being part of China and the mainland's benevolence towards us.

The rejection of a licence for Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV) was a decision made by the Hong Kong government. Its reasons for doing this are still unknown under the grounds of confidentiality.

Until the truth is revealed as to why the licence bid was turned down, we should not politicise the matter and insinuate the central government's involvement, be it through direct or indirect control and its implied effect on press freedom.

Assumptions without substantiated evidence will only lead to more mistrust between Hong Kong residents and mainland China nationals.

Let's not all be blinkered with the thoughts that the central government is respon- sible for all decisions regarding the less-than-well-managed work of the Hong Kong administration.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying should clear the air before the matter becomes unnecessarily politicised.

To remove it [on Nathan Road], cranes were used. This must have cost a lot of money, which usually ends up being paid by the government as the owner of the signboard is long gone, and in the end by all of us.

Abandoned, not maintained, or otherwise unsafe, advertising signs are a major danger in our streets. Regular typhoons take care of most of the weak ones, but there still is the risk that one comes crashing down on a crowd of unsuspecting shoppers.

The government should take measures to improve this situation. On top of the current safety rules on erecting larger signs, all signs attached to the outside of a building should be licensed, the requirement being a cash deposit of the estimated removal cost of that sign. Or rather, double this cost, to give the owner an incentive to remove it when the business closes.

Whenever the government has to step in to remove the sign for safety reasons, the owner has to refund the cost, or the deposit is forfeited.

These signs are a major way for businesses to let passers-by know their presence. I have no objection to having them around, as long as they are safe and the cost of removal after a business closes does not have to be borne by taxpayers.

The government's future town planning strategies should seek to help more Hongkongers live in or near the areas where they work. Although Hong Kong is on a much smaller geographical scale than the mainland, many large corporations there have quarters and kitchens for their staff.

Since moving to the Sha Tin area in 1985, I have had to put up with a long commute.

The Labour Department is encouraging employers to hire more middle-aged workers.

It should also urge companies to consider taking on suitable candidates who live in the neighbourhood.

Well, I am a Hongkonger of some 45 years and also an Australian.

It's true we can sometimes appear pushy, but there are more than seven million of us and space is a bit tight in places. Adelaide, on the other hand, is a gentle small city, and so is another world entirely from the bustle of Hong Kong.

Perhaps this is a poor excuse for our occasional lapse in manners, but I wonder if Mr Embery has recently travelled on the underground in London, Paris, Rome or Tokyo? Or how about if he tried walking down London's Oxford Street any day of the week, or strolled through Leicester Square after the theatre most nights?

And I do wonder if Mr Embery has ventured into parts of Sydney and Melbourne in some areas at night. It may also come as a bit of a shock.

Adelaide is charming city and I think he should stay there and enjoy it.

As an individual shareholder, I could not agree more with his comments on matters related to the controversy of Alibaba's request for a preferred share structure - it is a "lousy idea".

Our Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah is now muddying the water by stating that he is "open-minded" on the issue ("Tsang calls for debate on IPO rules", October 29).

He is thereby giving licence to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing chief executive Charles Li Xiaojia to canvas for non-standard shareholding structures for "innovative companies". This will open the door to all, and particularly mainland companies.

I am astonished that our man in charge of Hong Kong's economic and financial matters can be so ambivalent on such an important issue.

Surely the job of financial secretary requires strong professional leadership and opinions, rather than weakly wavering on the need for public consultation.

It is absolutely impossible to imagine that previous esteemed financial secretaries, John Cowperthwaite, Philip Haddon-Cave, John Bremridge, Piers Jacobs and Hamish Macleod could make such wishy-washy statements on vital financial matters.

The late rock legend Frank Zappa once said that "the mind is like a parachute, it works best when open".

However John Tsang should also consider that a parachute follows the prevailing wind and has strings attached.

To work out the cost for a like-with-like comparison, the cost of food and servicing from the flight attendants must be separated first since the economy class gets lower quality and less service, and see how the remaining cost compares among the three classes.

My rough estimate is that the space occupied by a first-class seat is at least 10 times that of the "cattle class" and, based on Girling's figures, the first class fare should be HK$73,000.

However, this has not taken into account the higher quality of food and more pampered service from flight attendants.

It's only fair that the price of first-class and perhaps business class tickets should be reviewed to reflect the extra benefits.