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Allies, yes, but Hong Kong government supporters don’t always play ball with the chief executive

All three city leaders since the handover in 1997 have run into occasional difficulties with political parties that usually back the administration unswervingly

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James Tien, then Liberal Party chairman, delivers his Exco resignation speech in July 2003. Photo: Oliver Tsang

From Tung Chee-hwa’s era to the current term of Leung Chun-ying, the pro-government camp has not always lent unconditional support to the chief executive.

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Most Hongkongers will remember James Tien Pei-chun jumping ship over Article 23 legislation in 2003. Tien, who led the Liberal Party at that time and was appointed by Tung to the Executive Council, resigned from his cabinet a few days after 500,000 people took to the street to protest against the controversial national security bill and other issues.

His departure and his party’s turn made it impossible for the bill to be passed. Tung was forced to withdraw the bill.

Just a few months after the Article 23 bill was shelved, the then Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong, the government’s biggest ally, rose to protest against a proposal to charge a land departure tax. The party, as well as the pan-democratic camp and businesses, argued that the HK$18 tax on departing vehicles would hurt exchanges between Hong Kong and mainland China and drive away tourists. The bill to implement the tax was shelved.

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Tung’s successor, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, also faced pressure from the camp. In 2011, financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah announced in his budget speech that, as a one-off measure, the government would inject HK$6,000 to the Mandatory Provident Fund accounts of citizens who earned less than HK$10,000 a month.

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