Hong Kong Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king has urged officials to respect lawmakers’ dissenting views amid a recent rise in government pushback, stressing that public policies “always have pros and cons”.
Speaking at a media gathering on Tuesday, Lee said she had relayed lawmakers’ concerns to the government regarding officials’ recent rebuttals. She described the relationship between the executive and legislative branches as an ongoing process requiring mutual respect from both sides, while exploring ways to move forward in response to new circumstances.
Her remarks came after several recent incidents in which government officials publicly rebuked lawmakers. These included the Department of Health criticising legislator Chris Ip Ngo-tung, without naming him, for raising concerns about the ban on alternative smoking products, accusing him of “spreading false information and misleading the public and visitors” in April.
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Separately, also in April, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu’s decision not to support the annual budget was inconsequential. He also described concerns over increased government bond issuance as too alarmist.
While acknowledging that some officials’ remarks may have made lawmakers uncomfortable, Lee stressed that overall communication between the two branches remained smooth and that the government had incorporated legislator’s suggestions into several bills.
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“I call on different stakeholders, including government officials, to respect the diverse views of legislators. In fact, there is never a policy with only one voice,” Lee said, urging officials to engage lawmakers proactively when encountering opposing opinions.