Source says chief executive will confirm her pledge to spend additional HK$5 billion on education so legislators can approve funding as soon as possible
Hong Kong’s leader in waiting is extending an olive branch to lawmakers by taking questions from them just five days after assuming office. also pledged to honour according to a source from the new administration. In another development, the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office revealed on Friday that its director, Wang Guangya, had conducted one-on-one “dialogues” in Shenzhen with Lam’s top officials. Photos uploaded to the office’s website show Wang sitting down separately with the top three secretaries – for administration, finance and justice. The Legislative Council issued a notice on Friday morning informing members that Lam would attend a 90-minute question-and-answer session on July 5. The source said Lam would announce plans to increase recurrent expenditure for education by HK$5 billion so it could be voted on as soon as possible. Lam’s decision to meet legislators in her first week in office “reflects the fact that she attaches great importance to Legco”, the source said. “She wants to maintain better relations with Legco, ” he said, adding that Lam would go to Legco more often than past chief executives. Some lawmakers earlier suggested she come once a month. The outgoing leader, Leung Chun-ying, gave his first question-and-answer session on his 16th day in office back in 2012. He has since attended such sessions at irregular intervals. Since 2016, he has answered lawmakers’ questions four times, two of which were on his policy addresses.
