2019 Policy Address: Live Blog

Good morning and welcome to RTHK's live coverage of the 2019 Policy Address.

The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, arrived at the Legislative Council around half an hour before her third policy speech at 11am. Pan-democrats are standing by with a banner depicting a large group of protesters, and signs saying "Five demands, not one less."

Despite a heavy police presence outside the council, there were only a handful of protesters outside the building, and the League of Social Democrats members were kept well away from the complex. There had earlier been fears that protests may prevent Lam from even getting to Legco to deliver her speech in person as is customary.

Lam is hoping to give the city a fresh start with 200 new initiatives that are expected to be heavy on measures to boost housing, and support people's livelihood. Stay with RTHK for the latest.

11:00

Carrie Lam has just entered the Legislative Council chamber. On the way she walked by a group of pro-democracy legislators who chanted slogans demand her resignation, police accountability for alleged abuses against protesters, and for Lam to accept all five of the protest movement's key demands.

The shouting continued inside the chamber, with Civic Party legislator Tanya Chan standing atop her desk and others belting out protest slogans,

Legco President Andrew Leung adjourned the meeting amid the ruckus and Carrie Lam quickly left the chamber.

11:10 With the meeting still adjourned, Civic Party legislator Tanya Chan left the chamber, while shouting "Five demands, not one less!", apparently respecting an earlier order from Legco President Andrew Leung for her to leave. People Power lawmaker Ray Chan was also escorted out by security.

11:21 Legco President Andrew Leung has warned his colleagues that it is Legco's constitutional duty to listen to Carrie Lam's policy address. Pan-democrats responded by shouting more slogans. Leung then said he would eject more members if necessary, and again demanded silence.

11:23 Attempt number two by Carrie Lam to give her policy speech. She again walked into the chamber as pro-democracy councillors chanted protest slogans, urging for her to accept their five demands, and to resign.

Democratic Party legislator Ted Hui continued playing out noisy recording as Lam started speaking. Hui's partymate Andrew Wan was ejected shortly afterwards for also disrupting Lam's speech.

Leung then tossed out Shiu Ka-chun, Kwok Ka-ki, and Lam Cheuk-ting in quick succession, though they refused to leave immediately.

11:27 Andrew Leung has adjourned the meeting for a second time as several pro-democracy councillors refused to leave the chamber despite being ejected by the Legco head. Lam then left the chamber, shielded by security as pan-democrats rushed forward to confront her.

11:29 Some legislators threw their placards at Carrie Lam as she left the council building. Her ministers then followed and made their exit. It appears fears that Lam would not be able to deliver her policy address in person have been borne out.

The Legislative Council has made contingency plans, but have yet to announce how or in what form the policy speech will be aired.

11:32 Pan-democrats are meeting the press after Legco President Andrew Leung called off the meeting following repeated disruptions. The camp's convenor Tanya Chan accused Lam of causing the four-plus months of unrest, says she is unfit for office, and doesn't deserve to deliver her policy address.

She then held up a speaker and played the sounds of protesters screaming, saying Lam must see that "her hands are covered in blood."

11:44 Chan said if Lam cannot govern Hong Kong, she should step down. "This is the only way we can have a future... Please don’t let us suffer any more", she said.

Council Front legislator Claudia Mo said it was a “shame and a sham” for Lam to come to Legco to try to deliver her policy address, saying the CE has lost her authority and right to govern Hong Kong. She explained the the camp had not only played the sounds of protesters screaming as they were subdued by police, they played video on a projector spelling out the movement's five core demands, including an independent probe of police abuses, amnesty for all protesters, and full universal suffrage for the entire legislature and the post of chief executive.

11:47 The government has released a statement confirming that Lam will be giving her Policy Address via a recorded video, starting at 12.15pm.

Here is the full statement:

"Owing to the current circumstances, the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, was not able to deliver the entire Policy Address at the Legislative Council today. To allow members of the public to know in full the various initiatives in it, she will deliver the Policy Address to members of the public through video at about 12.15pm today. Members of the public can view the broadcast on TV and the Policy Address website (www.policyaddress.gov.hk)."

11:53 The pan-democratic camp blasted Lam for having to give her policy address via a recorded video. Council Front lawmaker Claudia Mo said "It tells you that she’s just a coward. She quails before the people.It’s a historic moment for Hong Kong because she’s so terrified that she needs to hide away behind a camera."

12:05

It’s the pro-government camp’s turn to talk to reporters. Convenor Martin Liao “strongly condemned” what he described as the pan-democrats’ “violent actions”, saying they had disrupted the CE’s “most important speech of the year” that all lawmakers have a constitutional duty to receive.

The address is hugely important to Hong Kong’s society, economy, and to people’s livelihood, Liao said.

12:09

DAB chairwoman Starry Lee echoed Liao’s comments, saying she fears that Legco will not be able to hold meetings in future. Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Alice Mak said many people will be disappointed to see Lam unable to deliver her address in Legco.

"The pan-democrats have brought the violence from the streets back into the chamber. The people don't want to see any more violent acts", she said.

Mak said people are sick of violent scenes -- like pro-democracy lawmakers trying to rush forward to confront Lam, or throwing placards at her as she left.

12:14

Business and Professionals Alliance legislator Priscilla Leung condemned her rivals, saying they only know how to create chaos.

She said she’s already heard from people who say they’re disappointed in the pan-democrats for their actions.

12:17

A pre-recorded video of Carrie Lam delivering her policy address is being broadcast. It's the first time a CE has had to give her address in such a way. Lam started her address by condemning the violence and re-iterating that the rule of law is Hong Kong's core value and must not be undermined.

12:24

Lam said “any acts that advocate Hong Kong’s independence and threaten the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests will not be tolerated.”

“The successful implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” is the common aspiration of our country, Hong Kong and people of the two places. Despite the stormy times and overwhelming difficulties Hong Kong is experiencing, I believe that so long as we accurately adhere to the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, we will be able to get out of the impasse.”

12:26 The Chief Executive says she will focus on four areas in this year's address: housing, land supply, improving people’s livelihood and economic development. Carrie Lam said she's put together more than 220 'new initiatives' even though she conceded that not all are concrete measures.

"Some are in the form of policy directions or possible options", she said.

Lam also renewed her appeal for the community eschew violence. "I believe our society will agree that continued violence and spread of hatred would erode the core values of Hong Kong, disrupt social peace and undermine the excellent systems that took years of efforts to build", she said.

12:45

Carrie Lam said the government will provide 10,000 transitional housing units over the new three years to cater for the growing number of people on the waiting list for public housing.

The transitional flats would be built on vacant government land, and plots lent by private developers.

The administration will set aside HK$5 billion for this initiative, up from the HK$2 billion previously announced.

12:47

People who don’t have public housing and aren’t on welfare will be given a new cash allowance.

The Community Care Fund will first offer a one-off subsidy in the next financial year, but the government will complete a study for a regular subsidy by the end of 2020.

Lam said the government also wants to increase rent allowances for people receiving welfare.

12:50

Lam said the Housing Authority will explore the possibility of redeveloping factory estates for public housing use; 12,000 subsidised are to be sold in 2020, and a new site on Anderson Road has been earmarked for the Starter Homes scheme, to provide around 1,000 subsidised flats to first-time buyers.

12:54

The Chief Executive has announced that first-time homebuyers will be able to borrow far more to purchase homes.

They will be able to take out loans worth 90 percent of the property value for all properties worth HK$8 million or less. That compares with the maximum value of HK$4 million at present.

Buyers can borrow 80 percent of the property value for flats with up to HK$10 million, up from the current HK$6 million.

12:59

Carrie Lam is also proposing a targeted approach to seize privately-held land for public housing.

Seven hectares of land is to be seized in Cha Kwo Ling Village, Ngau Chi Wan Village and Chuk Yuen United Village, to build a new community largely comprising of public housing.

Squatters who currently live in the area will be compensated and rehoused.

The Planning Department will also study 160 hectares of brownfield sites to assess whether they’re suitable for public housing, with a technical assessment to be conducted by the end of the year.

Lam said invoking the Lands Resumption Ordinance is “a breakthrough in thinking.”

Authorities may also target private land that’s already zoned for housing development, but have been caught up in various problems, like fragmented ownership or infrastructural constraints.

13:03

The Chief Executive also said the government will be going ahead with controversial plans to build a series of artificial islands east of Lantau to create 1,000 hectares of land.

Carrie Lam said while she “fully understands” people’s concerns about the reclamation, the government will “continue our efforts to explain the project objectives and directions of the technical studies to the public”.

13:07

Carrie Lam said the government will give a boost to kindergarten age children by introducing a 20-month pilot scheme early next year, to provide early intervention to children who exhibit signs of having special needs.

Another 2,500 free places will be provided under an existing after-school care programme, while various subsidies will be increased and red tape cut.

Lam says more than 5 700 students and their families are expected to benefit from these measures.

13:17

A one-off HK$2,500 grant for parents of all kindergarten, primary and secondary school students announced by the Financial Secretary in August will be made a regular subsidy.

Lam said some 900,000 students will start receiving the annual grant in the 2020/21 school year.

Payments under the existing Working Family Allowance (WFA) will be increased by between 16.7 percent and 25 percent, while the child allowance will be increased by 40 percent.

For a four-person household with two eligible children, for example, beneficiaries will get 30 percent more – from HK$3,200 a month to HK$4,200.

13:19

Maximum payments under the existing Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme will be increased from HK$300 to HK$400.

People can claim up to one third of their monthly expenses on public transport – up from a quarter at present.

This will cost the government around HK$3.1 billion a year – up from the current annual expenditure of around HK$2.3 billion.

13:30

The Chief Executive also promised to introduce more measures to help struggling businesses amid the sagging economy.

Lam said the recent violence have aggravated the slowing economy – which is being dragged down by the US-China trade war.

She said Hong Kong is already in a technical recession, with retail sales, exports, and tourism hit hard.

Jobless rates in specific sectors such as retail, accommodation and catering services have been rising progressively, Lam warned, while labour demand in the import/export trade sector has weakened considerably.

The CE also said the government is seeking the policy support of mainland authorities to possibly offer tax concessions to local enterprises wishing to shift from exports to domestic sales.

Carrie Lam used her closing remarks to address the four-plus months of increasingly violent protests – again urging the community to eschew violence.

“So long as Hong Kong remains impeded by unresolved disputes, ongoing violence, confrontation and discord, our city cannot embark on the road to reconciliation and people will lose faith in the future”, Lam said.

“We must reverse the prevalent pessimistic sentiments and stop the disorderly behaviour. We have to put aside differences and stop attacking each other, so that we could set sail again based on the values upheld by all.”

She also sounded a note of optimism, saying “Although Hong Kong is now facing the most formidable challenge since our return to the Motherland, I believe that the efforts made to lay the solid foundation of Hong Kong would not be wasted.”

“So long as we have unwavering confidence, adhere to the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, stop violence in accordance with the law and restore social order as early as possible, Hong Kong will soon be able to emerge from the storm and embrace the rainbow”, Lam concluded.

And that concludes RTHK’s live coverage of the Chief Executive’s third policy address.