1998 — Page 363

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 363 of 606

PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL

351

Mr. Chaiman, these are my remarks.

THE HON. LI Wah-ming (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman,

I do not want to criticize my fellow colleagues. I would like to aim my target at the Government consultant's report on the new framework for food safety and environmental hygiene. The sole consultant of the said report is Mr. Albert LAM. Mr. LAM is the so-called consultant of the Government. I believe you all know his background. Do you think the consultant's report is just and credible? My answer is in the negative. The report does not introduce any new concept. It only transfers the decision-making power from the elected Urban Council to the Government's executive body. There is no breakthrough in the management culture of the bureaucracy. Consequently, the existing bureaucracy will continue to expand. A framework of "One Bureau Three Departments" will come into being. An Environment and Food Bureau will be set up to oversee the Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, the Environmental Protection Department and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. This framework will not streamline the structure of civil service. On the contrary, it will bloat the existing bureaucracy. In fact, the setting up of the Policy Bureau is very expensive. According to the report, the Bureau will have one Secretary (you all know the salary of a Secretary), two Deputy Secretaries, five Principal Assistant Secretaries and also directorate officers for the three departments. The establishment of the new structure is in fact larger than that of the two municipal services departments. Therefore, I call this "One Bureau Three Departments” structure, as proposed in the report, a “self-bloating" proposal. “Self-bloating" means inflating oneself. Of course, we ought to be more careful about this.

The consultant also suggests that a relevant advisory committee be set up after the dissolution of the Municipal Councils. This will reduce the public's opportunity to participate in politics, which is in effect retrogressing to the older days when the whole Council was appointed. The advisory committee, most probably, will only serve the function of giving advice to the powers-that-be. Just now, I listened attentively to the speeches delivered by different colleagues. Mr. Ip Kwok-chung, our Vice-Chairman, referred to the “One Council One Department" proposal. This proposal is fully supported by the Democratic Party. However, it has yet to solicit the support of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) and the Liberal Party.

Will we still have this Annual Conventional Debate again next year? God worship, prayers, self-reproach, and blames will not give us an answer. It all depends on the decision of the Legislative Council (LegCo), the ultimate gate-keeper.

In April and May this year, over one hundred proposed amendments to the legislation will be submitted to the LegCo. Through such amendments, the functions and powers of the Municipal Councils will be divided and

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Page 363 of 606 PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL 351 Mr. Chaiman, these are my remarks. THE HON. LI Wah-ming (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I do not want to criticize my fellow colleagues. I would like to aim my target at the Government consultant's report on the new framework for food safety and environmental hygiene. The sole consultant of the said report is Mr. Albert LAM. Mr. LAM is the so-called consultant of the Government. I believe you all know his background. Do you think the consultant's report is just and credible? My answer is in the negative. The report does not introduce any new concept. It only transfers the decision-making power from the elected Urban Council to the Government's executive body. There is no breakthrough in the management culture of the bureaucracy. Consequently, the existing bureaucracy will continue to expand. A framework of "One Bureau Three Departments" will come into being. An Environment and Food Bureau will be set up to oversee the Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, the Environmental Protection Department and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. This framework will not streamline the structure of civil service. On the contrary, it will bloat the existing bureaucracy. In fact, the setting up of the Policy Bureau is very expensive. According to the report, the Bureau will have one Secretary (you all know the salary of a Secretary), two Deputy Secretaries, five Principal Assistant Secretaries and also directorate officers for the three departments. The establishment of the new structure is in fact larger than that of the two municipal services departments. Therefore, I call this "One Bureau Three Departments” structure, as proposed in the report, a “self-bloating" proposal. “Self-bloating" means inflating oneself. Of course, we ought to be more careful about this. The consultant also suggests that a relevant advisory committee be set up after the dissolution of the Municipal Councils. This will reduce the public's opportunity to participate in politics, which is in effect retrogressing to the older days when the whole Council was appointed. The advisory committee, most probably, will only serve the function of giving advice to the powers-that-be. Just now, I listened attentively to the speeches delivered by different colleagues. Mr. Ip Kwok-chung, our Vice-Chairman, referred to the “One Council One Department" proposal. This proposal is fully supported by the Democratic Party. However, it has yet to solicit the support of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) and the Liberal Party. Will we still have this Annual Conventional Debate again next year? God worship, prayers, self-reproach, and blames will not give us an answer. It all depends on the decision of the Legislative Council (LegCo), the ultimate gate-keeper. In April and May this year, over one hundred proposed amendments to the legislation will be submitted to the LegCo. Through such amendments, the functions and powers of the Municipal Councils will be divided and Page 363 of 606 Page 363 of 606 Page 363 of 606

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Page 363 of 606 PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL 351 Mr. Chaiman, these are my remarks. THE HON. LI Wah-ming (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I do not want to criticize my fellow colleagues. I would like to aim my target at the Government consultant's report on the new framework for food safety and environmental hygiene. The sole consultant of the said report is Mr. Albert LAM. Mr. LAM is the so-called consultant of the Government. I believe you all know his background. Do you think the consultant's report is just and credible? My answer is in the negative. The report does not introduce any new concept. It only transfers the decision-making power from the elected Urban Council to the Government's executive body. There is no breakthrough in the management culture of the bureaucracy. Consequently, the existing bureaucracy will continue to expand. A framework of "One Bureau Three Departments" will come into being. An Environment and Food Bureau will be set up to oversee the Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, the Environmental Protection Department and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. This framework will not streamline the structure of civil service. On the contrary, it will bloat the existing bureaucracy. In fact, the setting up of the Policy Bureau is very expensive. According to the report, the Bureau will have one Secretary (you all know the salary of a Secretary), two Deputy Secretaries, five Principal Assistant Secretaries and also directorate officers for the three departments. The establishment of the new structure is in fact larger than that of the two municipal services departments. Therefore, I call this "One Bureau Three Departments” structure, as proposed in the report, a “self- bloating" proposal. “Self-bloating" means inflating oneself. Of course, we ought to be more careful about this. The consultant also suggests that a relevant advisory committee be set up after the dissolution of the Municipal Councils. This will reduce the public's opportunity to participate in politics, which is in effect retrogressing to the older days when the whole Council was appointed. The advisory committee, most probably, will only serve the function of giving advice to the powers-that- be. Just now, I listened attentively to the speeches delivered by different colleagues. Mr. Ip Kwok-chung, our Vice-Chairman, referred to the “One Council One Department" proposal. This proposal is fully supported by the Democratic Party. However, it has yet to solicit the support of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) and the Liberal Party. Will we still have this Annual Conventional Debate again next year? God worship, prayers, self-reproach, and blames will not give us an answer. It all depends on the decision of the Legislative Council (LegCo), the ultimate gate- keeper. In April and May this year, over one hundred proposed amendments to the legislation will be submitted to the LegCo. Through such amendments, the functions and powers of the Municipal Councils will be divided and Page 363 of 606 Page 363 of 606 Page 363 of 606

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Page 363 of 606

PROVISIONAL Urban COUNCIL

351

Mr. Chaiman, these are my remarks.

THE HON. LI Wah-ming (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman,

I do not want to criticize my fellow colleagues. I would like to aim my target at the Government consultant's report on the new framework for food safety and environmental hygiene. The sole consultant of the said report is Mr. Albert LAM. Mr. LAM is the so-called consultant of the Government. I believe you all know his background. Do you think the consultant's report is just and credible? My answer is in the negative. The report does not introduce any new concept. It only transfers the decision-making power from the elected Urban Council to the Government's executive body. There is no breakthrough in the management culture of the bureaucracy. Consequently, the existing bureaucracy will continue to expand. A framework of "One Bureau Three Departments" will come into being. An Environment and Food Bureau will be set up to oversee the Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, the Environmental Protection Department and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. This framework will not streamline the structure of civil service. On the contrary, it will bloat the existing bureaucracy. In fact, the setting up of the Policy Bureau is very expensive. According to the report, the Bureau will have one Secretary (you all know the salary of a Secretary), two Deputy Secretaries, five Principal Assistant Secretaries and also directorate officers for the three departments. The establishment of the new structure is in fact larger than that of the two municipal services departments. Therefore, I call this "One Bureau Three Departments” structure, as proposed in the report, a “self- bloating" proposal. “Self-bloating" means inflating oneself. Of course, we ought to be more careful about this.

The consultant also suggests that a relevant advisory committee be set up after the dissolution of the Municipal Councils. This will reduce the public's opportunity to participate in politics, which is in effect retrogressing to the older days when the whole Council was appointed. The advisory committee, most probably, will only serve the function of giving advice to the powers-that- be. Just now, I listened attentively to the speeches delivered by different colleagues. Mr. Ip Kwok-chung, our Vice-Chairman, referred to the “One Council One Department" proposal. This proposal is fully supported by the Democratic Party. However, it has yet to solicit the support of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) and the Liberal Party.

1998 — Page 363

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