Editorial | Answers needed on Carrie Lam’s proposed reshuffle

An outgoing government would only include a major restructuring on its agenda providing it put the incoming administration on a stronger footing. This appeared to be the case when Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor vowed to get a new ministerial framework ready in the remaining 10 months of her current term.

Justifiable as it seems, the chief executive still needs to clearly explain how such a move can help improve governance.

Three years ago, the South China Morning Post urged Lam to get on with the unfinished revamp of her predecessor Leung Chun-ying, who only managed to create the Innovation and Technology Bureau after two years of wrangling with the opposition bloc in the Legislative Council.

Other proposals, such as creating a new minister for culture, were abandoned following strong political resistance.

Lam was asked about the revamp in 2018, a year after being in office, but said she did not want to be distracted from other pressing issues.

Obviously, the changing political landscape and atmosphere has enabled the government to do more. Lam has acknowledged that she intends to set up new bureaus for housing and culture in her upcoming policy address.