'CE Doesn't Listen To Others Over Policy Address'

Pro-Beijing heavyweight Tsang Yok-sing has accused Chief Executive Carrie Lam of trying to single-handedly come up with the annual Policy Address while ignoring other people's suggestions.

In his weekly column with the newspaper AM730, the founding chairman of the DAB and former Legco president slammed what he sees as a lack of transparency. Tsang said since Lam took up the top job, she appeared to have "further developed the black box operation of the Policy Address: personally taking over the drafting of the report, the degree of which is far beyond that of other chief executives".

Tsang said while there was much fanfare about the Chief Executive consulting the public before the speech, the final document rarely acknowledged people's submissions.

He cited the 2018 Policy Address when Lam called on the public to submit their views on the Lantau Tomorrow project. But at the end, the blueprint did not mention the public's views, and he noted in a column at the time that the address appeared to be written on her own from "a secret room", an approach that was out of touch with the times.

Tsang also noted that in Lam's Policy Address last year, which contained 53 paragraphs, she mentioned the word "I" 55 times as opposed to "we" referring to the government.

"Personalised references are understandable. However, to adopt policy measures and then unceremoniously 'appropriate them as your own' seems to be Lam's unique style," Tsang wrote.

Tsang also questioned why Lam made the "unprecedented decision" to postpone this year's address until possibly late November, just two days before she was due to deliver it. Lam said the delay would give her time to ask the central government for help with the recovery of Hong Kong’s economy.

Tsang suggested that the Chief Executive was trying to score political points.

"The SAR government cannot boost the Hong Kong economy on his own or boost the confidence of the people. To save Hong Kong's economy, it depends on Carrie Lam proposing solutions to the central government, and entreat different departments. Later she will come back with good things, write it in the Policy Address and publish it to let everyone know."

The pro-establishment heavyweight has had some tough words for the Chief Executive lately. Earlier this month, Tsang revealed on an RTHK TV programme that Lam had made scathing remarks about the DAB, and that she had complained "rather impolitely" to him about his party's failure to nurture and provide talent for the government.