John Lee Unveils Manifesto Ahead Of CE Poll

The sole contender in the upcoming Chief Executive election, John Lee, unveiled his policy platform on Friday, days before the 1,500-strong election committee votes on May 8.

Revealing his manifesto to reporters and members of community organisations, the former chief secretary vowed to strengthen governance, boost land and housing supply, improve Hong Kong's competitiveness and build a caring society if he's elected.

Housing is a major focus, with Lee proposing a new scheme that would allow people to move into new public housing estates earlier, even when the surrounding infrastructure is not fully ready.

This could shorten people's waiting times by about a year, he said.

To help those living in subdivided flats, the former minister proposed a pilot scheme aimed at tackling generational poverty, which would run for two to three years.

The government would enlist the help of businesses and non-governmental organisations to provide guidance, training opportunities and other support to 1,000 secondary school children.

Proposals put forward by the current administration are also included in Lee's agenda.

His government would fully review and plan for the Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow Vision schemes.

Lee said he is also inclined towards supporting the current administration's plan to restructure the government, setting up a new culture, sports and tourism bureau and splitting the Transport and Housing Bureau into two.

To strengthen the administration's ability to govern and execute policies, officials in leadership positions would be asked to intervene when problems first emerge, and clear targets and key performance indicators would be set.

Lee also hopes to set up a new mechanism to mobilise civil servants during emergencies.

On livelihood issues, the former chief secretary said he would build volunteer teams in all 18 districts to provide community support in normal times, and support the government’s district work during emergencies.

Lee added that his administration would push for Article 23 national security legislation at an appropriate time.

National education would also be enhanced, he said, to raise the sense of national consciousness and identity in pupils.