Acrimony in Hong Kong Legco chamber after more than 9,000 public works get past filibuster

Pan-democratic legislators decry government’s refusal to unbundle controversial projects from all-or-nothing package

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Pan-democratic legislators, including Claudia Mo and Nathan Law, ran to the chairman’s seat during the committee session. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 8:13pm, 18 Mar 2017Updated: 11:16pm, 18 Mar 2017

In a hard-fought victory for the government over filibustering opposition lawmakers, the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee on Saturday approved a controversial HK$12.4 billion funding package for more than 9,000 public works projects.

Legislators allowed the government to clear a major hurdle to financing controversial projects such as the Wang Chau housing development in Yuen Long and building a tourism hub on Lantau Island, despite protests and drama in the chamber.

After three months of delaying tactics by the pan-democrats that had blocked 9,400 public construction projects, 8,000 of which were ongoing, the final vote was 29 in favour and one against. The pan-democrats boycotted the vote.

Wang Chau and Lantau were among 26 projects, worth HK$180 million, bundled into a funding application with less controversial public works projects. The pan-democrats had insisted on dealing with them separately later.

After the pro-establishment majority rejected all motions to drag the meeting out, Finance Committee chairman Chan Kin-por ordered an immediate vote, and the motion passed quickly.

Committee chairman Chan Kin-por had overruled filibustering attempts at previous meetings. Photo: Felix Wong