Hong Kong’s newly elected lawmakers, many of them fresh faces on the political scene, held their first meeting on Wednesday, with officials pledging to address policy gaps exposed by the deadly Tai Po inferno, from tightening oversight of maintenance project tenders and raising homeowner voting thresholds to imposing a smoking ban at construction sites.
Wednesday also marked the first time since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty 28 years ago that a city leader addressed the first session of a new Legislative Council term. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu outlined government priorities in the wake of November’s blaze, with the resettlement of affected residents and investigations into the causes of the fire topping the list.
“Accountability must be pursued to the end, whether involving government or non-governmental personnel, regardless of their grass-roots or high-level positions. They must be investigated and punished according to the facts,” Lee said.
Lee told the 90-member chamber that the Wang Fuk Court blaze, which claimed 161 lives, had laid bare the need to reform industry practices and the regulatory system. He also stressed the urgency of “breaking down vested interests”.
Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing later said it could take another “two to three months” for the government to collect evidence and dismantle scaffolding from the estate’s seven charred buildings.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki moved a government motion in Legco outlining a package of targeted reforms, which lawmakers passed in the evening after nine hours of debate.
