Frank Talks With Legco Bode Well For Future, CE Says

Chief Executive John Lee led the government’s first informal ‘antechamber talks’ with lawmakers on Wednesday, with both sides hailing the private chats as frank exchanges that would help to enhance communication and policymaking.

Lee, flanked by his top ministers and their deputies, held three half-hour sessions with council members, with lawmakers giving their suggestions on a future border reopening and airing various concerns.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Chief Executive thanked the lawmakers, saying the frank discussions were held in a good atmosphere.

He added that he hopes such exchanges would become a launchpad to propel the executive-legislative relationship to new heights.

"This is the number one stage, which I hope through the processes and experiences, we would be proceeding to higher levels. It will be a dynamic situation, a dynamic exercise for us officials and legislators to find ways, so that we will enhance governance by good communication, understanding and cooperation," Lee said.

Legco President Andrew Leung was also complementary of the new arrangement. He noted that the idea for officials to hold monthly informal chats with lawmakers was made just last week at the new CE’s first question-and-answer session in Legco, and the fact that the first of such meetings was held successfully within such a short time demonstrated the administration’s efficiency.

“We hope the executive-legislative relationship, under the leadership of the CE, will develop well,” Leung said.

The largest party in Legco, the DAB, also welcomed the first antechamber chats. Its chairperson Starry Lee said the Chief Executive was receptive to her party’s proposals to simplify infection control measures at the mainland border, but added that she understands it would take some time for the new administration to bring those ideas to fruition.

"Generally speaking, he's very positive towards our suggestions, and he emphasised that we are working towards the same goal," she said.

Lawmakers from the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) also raised the border issue during the talks, which councillor Joephy Chan said was a good start.

"We are going to have more antechamber meetings in the future. After the antechamber meeting, we have stayed in contact and we have addressed our policy issues, and we are going to keep in contact, we are going to have more supervision," she said.

"I'm sure through these antechamber meetings, we are going to have more policies that are more responsive to public needs, because we are going to talk about the policies before they come to the chamber for open discussion."

Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien, meanwhile, said the closed-door setting allowed for a more open discussion.

"People shorten their questions, they don't need to tell a story, they just go right to the point, and then the officials also answer in a way that would help us," Tien said.

"So they were very careful inside that [Legco] chamber, but over here, they are more open, sharing what is really going, which I appreciate."

Jeffrey Lam from the Business and Professionals Alliance said he also thought the chief executive was responsive to his concerns.