President of the Legislative Council Starry Lee met with the media today (June 2) to share her work over the past five months since taking office. Lee pointed out that the Eighth Legislative Council is the second legislature established after the improvement of the electoral system, and it is a united and action‑oriented legislature. Regarding recent criticism of the rebuttal culture of the executive authorities, she cited the Chief Executive as an example, noting that he broke with convention by attending the first plenary session of this term of LegCo members to share his views. She believes that most LegCo members agree that the current‑term government places great importance on its partnership with the legislature.
Starry Lee emphasised that the executive-legislative relationship is an ongoing process, with both sides continuously exploring and moving forward. For healthy development, mutual respect is required from both parties. She hopes that stakeholders, including officials, will value and respect the views of legislators, and, on the current foundation, better respond to social aspirations.
Starry Lee acknowledged that the more complex an issue is, the more likely it is that legislators and the government may see things differently. She noted, however, that it is still important for legislators to base their remarks on facts and data to strengthen their persuasiveness and to put forward practical and feasible proposals. She likewise hopes that officials will prepare themselves well in advance before responding to lawmakers’ questions and make their answers as concise and accurate as possible.
When speaking of the work of the current-term Legislative Council, Starry Lee, President of the Legislative Council, remarked that the Council must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, review bills and funding allocations with efficiency, and come up with innovative solutions to address new circumstances and challenges. She noted that as representatives of public opinion, Council members need to enhance their engagement with the community on all fronts and reach out to their respective sectors and constituents. "All 90 members have set up a total of 222 offices — ensuring that there is always one close by for residents". She described this as the fastest and most extensive rollout of offices in the legislature’s history. At the same time, she added, all members have opened Facebook pages, making it easier for citizens to follow their work.
When asked about the arrangements for the "National Studies Programme" scheduled for July, Starry Lee said that the Secretariat is actively liaising with the relevant Mainland authorities. The itinerary has yet to be finalised, and any concrete plan will be announced as soon as it is confirmed.
Starry Lee further mentioned that in response to the formulation of the SAR's first Five‑Year Plan, the government has, for the first time, established a mechanism for communication and collection of views with the legislature. So far, the Legislative Council has held a total of 100 consultation sessions, collected around 600 written submissions, and met with approximately 4,000 people. She thanked stakeholders and members of the public for their assistance, which enabled the Council to complete a substantial report in a short period of time, covering areas such as economy and trade, industrial development, innovation and technology, the Northern Metropolis, green living, and others, thereby supporting the government in formulating the Five‑Year Plan.
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