Hong Kong Legco localists take almost HK$1 million each in salary and expenses, despite not being sworn in
Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching have been unable to take their members’ oaths since anti-China slurs first time around
The controversy over the two localist lawmakers who insulted China in their members’ oaths has extended to the cost of the saga, with the Legislative Council revealing they each took almost a million dollars in salary and expenses to the end of October.
Rival camps clashed on whether Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang should be paid before their oaths are confirmed. They also pointed fingers at each other on how two meetings had to be adjourned because of the saga, leading to complaints of wasted public money and farcical scenes in Legco.
Each hour in session at the legislature costs, on average, HK$216,000.
The Legco secretariat said both of the Youngspiration members advanced HK$834,393 in operating funds, entertainment and travel expenses, as well as IT and set-up costs.
Including their monthly salaries of HK$95,180 payable since October 1, they had each received HK$929,573 by the end of last month.