Guest Comments by the Civic Party

The Civic Party takes a leading role in Hong Kong’s fight for long-overdue universal suffrage. The following summarizes a party document, titled Get Your Job Done On Constitutional Reform And Climate Change, outlining hopes for Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang’s policy address on October 14.

HONG KONG -- The Civic Party believes universal suffrage is the political cornerstone of sustainable social development.

Problems due to the financial tsunami linger, and the Hong Kong government should focus on job creation. Six promising new industries mentioned by chief executive Donald Tsang may benefit professional and skilled workers, but not the unskilled ones who usually suffer the most in economic downturns.

This is why we promote building a “green economy” to create 89,000 jobs for different classes. The government also should reduce greenhouse-gas emissions through environment-friendly measures that mitigate climate change.

Altogether, we advance 224 suggestions in 16 areas. The chief executive must get his job done and keep his promises to resolve the issue of universal suffrage during his term and to mitigate climate change. Otherwise, he should resign.

We support universal suffrage for the 2012 election. If this proves impossible, the chief executive must at least consult Hong Kong people on the way forward and create a road map to genuine universal suffrage, which means no filtering or pre-elections for chief-executive candidates and no functional constituencies in the Legislative Council.

A “green economy” could improve energy efficiency, recycling and sewage treatment. In requesting higher targets for air quality, more renewable energy and lower greenhouse-gas emissions, we propose 20 measures to help.

We suggest a full review of the principal-officials accountability system, improved executive-legislature relations, strengthened ties among the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and enhanced quality of governance.

The government should provide more financial incentives while increasing investment on research and development in the testing-and-certification and the information-technology industries. But it should think twice about expanding conference-and-exhibition facilities. It should legislate on fair competition and provide more support to small-and-medium enterprises through loan-guarantee schemes, marketing, management skills and information on the mainland market.

We recommend a review of the regulatory system and establishing a single regulatory body to monitor the finance sector. The government should develop more financial products to help diversify Hong Kong’s financial market.

Next, we suggest a comprehensive policy on bicycles as supplementary transport. The government should review the Mass Transit Railway fare mechanism and public transport.

New home-ownership projects should be used to guarantee adequate public housing for the middle and lower classes. We urge the installation of environment-friendly facilities to boost energy efficiency in public housing.

Enhancing Hong Kong as an education hub means first satisfying the needs of local students and preparing them for a knowledge-based economy. We recommend more grants for research and development, 15-year free education, small-class teaching in secondary schools and removal of the age barrier for mentally handicapped students.

The government should devote more resources to tackle drug-trafficking activities and relieve the workload of youth social workers. It should review youth policy and encourage young people to participate in public affairs.

We recommend more support for psychiatric patients, the disabled, elderly and new immigrants. The government should revive the Poverty Committee, develop social enterprises and consider a pension scheme.

Apart from minimum-wage legislation, the Civic Party recommends studying the possibility of standard working hours and collective-bargaining legislation. We advocate a review of policy on public markets to revitalize them. Hygiene blackspots may need more patrols and greater cleanup efforts.

Medical services should be enhanced, especially involving psychiatric services, prescribed drugs, the quality of health professionals, the medical-complaint mechanism and the monitoring system for epidemic diseases. The government should encourage co-operation between Western and Chinese medical practitioners.

We suggest a public-engagement model to develop the Western Kowloon Cultural District, a suburban centre in Kam Tin and a low-carbon district in Kai Tak. The government should draft a tree ordinance and review the heritage policy for better conservation.

Hong Kong should co-operate with Guangdong Province and Macau to nominate Cantonese opera under UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. We suggest more support for Cantonese opera and for other arts groups.

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