Handed more political firepower, can Beijing-friendly lawmakers crack Hong Kong’s housing crisis?

Name: ‘We do not want unpatriotic people in our political system,’ says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
Uploaded: 2021-03-11T00:00:15.000Z
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: ‘We do not want unpatriotic people in our political system,’ says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam

The central government has signalled it expects the pro-establishment camp to deliver solutions to one of the city’s thorniest social problems after the election overhaul

But politicians and government advisers warn the changes could also lead to a legislature adrift from public opinion and a strong-willed leader will be needed to overcome one-sided interests

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Space-starved Hong Kong has suffered from a shortage of housing for decades. Illustration: Perry Tse

Joyce NgandLilian Cheng

Published: 8:00am, 11 Mar 2021Updated: 12:13pm, 11 Mar 2021

When Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng met a group of Hong Kong representatives last weekend during the nation’s annual parliamentary meetings to brief them on the planned shake-up of the elections system, he also mentioned that the city’s housing problem had yet to be solved.

The message was not lost on pro-Beijing loyalists listening to him in the capital, or back in the city.

Han was serving them notice that once an “obstructionist” opposition was out of the way and the electoral changes gave the pro-government camp the clear upper hand, they had one less excuse not to deliver on the housing issue.

After all, even as he described how opposition in the legislature had stalled progress in improving people’s livelihoods, Han struck a dissatisfied tone over the city’s governance.

“The housing problem in Hong Kong is related to its history and development,” Han said in a video clip shown by a state broadcaster. “Although it is really difficult to solve the problem, we still need to start the work. If we just lay aside the problem and don’t come to a consensus or come up with an idea, and the Legislative Council starts a filibuster whenever there is a solution, Hong Kong people’s interests will be harmed.”

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‘We do not want unpatriotic people in our political system,’ says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam

The national legislature is expected to endorse the blueprint for the election overhaul at its closing session on Thursday, with the body’s apex standing committee to iron out the details later.