Legco passes motion of thanks for policy address
Lawmakers on Friday passed a motion of thanks for Chief Executive John Lee's maiden policy address, following a three-day debate on the blueprint. The passage came in the form of a show of hands as no councillor called for a vote by open ballot. While members overwhelmingly passed the motion, they did offer criticism and advice while debating topics such as youth policies and the government's handling of the pandemic. New People's Party chairwoman Regina Ip criticised the government for Hong Kong having an education system that causes young people to be too individualistic. She said this played a part in recent shocking incidents, such as the MIRROR concert accident where a huge video screen fell and injured two dancers, as well as two Cathay Pacific flight attendants flouting Covid rules. "They put up excuses that sounded so selfish...They had no regard to collective responsibility that one should have in a society," Ip said, adding that she thinks young people are unaware of how to abide by the law.  Lawmaker Doreen Kong, representing the Election Committee, said while the John Lee administration has been relaxing Covid rules in a timely manner, they also need to review whether existing measures still match the actual situation faced by the people. "Some of the measures are outdated and shouldn't be continued. These would actually be a huge obstacle for our development," she said.  "I hope the government would review the policies to see whether they're really on par with the current need, and to be more forward thinking." Health minister Lo Chung-mau said the Covid daily caseload has recently rebounded, and it's not time for the public to let their guard down. For his part, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said the government will implement policies in accordance with the general direction of comments made by President Xi Jinping during his Hong Kong visit in July. Chan said while councillors had different views and proposals, they collectively played the overture of a new chapter in Hong Kong.