Archive for the ‘Environmentalism’ Category

Next Big Issues For Hong Kong

December 22, 2005

After the WTO meeting, I have been asked by some people what I will be working on next. I see the next three big issues as being:

Ending the cosy relationship between certain businesses and the government. This does not mean bringing in anti-trust law, but rather ending preferential treatment for businesses in certain sectors. For example, the government suspended land auctions in order to support the market, or the government is maybe looking at keeping the duopoloy in the electricity sector.

Related to the first, the next issue is getting the government out of the property sector altogether and selling its entire land bank. Most people in Hong Kong live in shoe boxes and if the government sold all its land holdings, there is potential for more people to own their own place or live in bigger flats.

Again related to the frist, the next big issue is ending the Mandatory Provident Fund and instead making it voluntary.

Other issues include reducing expenditure instead of bringing in a sales tax, allowing for more development of the harbour and going after environmentalists.

Money Badly Spent

December 17, 2005

Unfortunately the Jockey Club has decided to give $10 million dollars to WWF to set up a marine park reserve. At the same time, today’s RTHK Backchat noted that a local rape crisis centre is being closed down because the Jockey Club is not going to fund its activities. I note that the club is giving about $16 million to Harmony House (a domestic violence crisis centre) and maybe that can be integrated into the rape crisis centre. However isn’t it better for the Jockey Club as a charity to fund centres that help human beings – especially the one’s mentioned above – rather than build a park for fish?