The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council held a meeting today (15th) and approved the amendments to the "Finance Committee Meeting Procedures", "Management Subcommittee Meeting Procedures" and "Public Works Subcommittee Meeting Procedures" in only 20 minutes.
According to the revised parliamentary procedure, the Finance Committee does not need to re-discuss funding proposals that have been approved by the Public Works Group or the Personnel Committee. The procedure for electing the chairman of the committee has also been revised, and the unannounced motion commonly known as "37A" will also disappear.
The establishment "deputy squad leader" and the DAB Chen Keqin said that they would "stand this for evidence," and emphasized that "I can tell the government to listen. Every minute, every minute (organization) is closely watched!" Officials are urged not to think that the Finance Committee has revised the procedures, and the Legislative Council will become a "cash machine." Just press it, nothing more!"
Chen Keqin: My colleague keeps a close eye on every point and every cent.
The motion to amend the procedure was proposed by a member of the financial sector and vice chairman of the Finance Committee, Chen Zhenying, covering multiple areas.
After the meeting procedures have been revised, the funding proposal approved by the Public Works Group and the Personnel Committee of the Finance Committee does not need to be discussed again, unless three members of the Finance Committee jointly request to overturn the proposal, and more than half of the Finance Committee members are awarded agree.
In addition, the amendment also revised the Finance Committee’s power to summon officials to testify or provide evidence, cancel the unannounced motions commonly known as "37A", the composition of the Finance Committee, and clearly stipulate that the chairman has the authority to regulate the meeting process, including The right to set time limits for consideration of agenda items or proposals.
Chen Keqin said that after the amendment to the election system, he believes that all the elected members are patriotic and love Hong Kong. The operation of the parliament will remain smooth in the future, but he believes that if the meeting procedures are modified inappropriately, it will leave "open loopholes" for non-compliant members. space.
Chen Keqin mentioned that some people questioned that the Legislative Council may have to approve the funding application submitted by the government after the revision of the procedure.
He refuted the statement and said that he would like to deposit the evidence. "I can tell the government to listen. Every minute and every single minute of my colleagues is closely watched." Chairman Chen Jianbo presided over the meeting. Many grants "we (organized) are not easier than others", and said that they would take this opportunity to urge officials attending the accounting and accounting in the future to "be ready" and "respond directly to members’ questions." ", and said: "Don’t think that you can change (procedures) and (appropriations) to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. It’s like pressing the cash machine and just pressing it. Nothing! If the officials do not work well , The explanation is not clear, we don’t understand, we will also oppose it, it doesn’t mean we support it 100%."
Zhang Yuren emphasized that the amendment of the rules does not "mute the voices" of the members' right to speak and monitor the appropriation procedures, but only to make the meeting procedures more efficient and balance different factors.
(Information Picture/Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Zhang Yuren said that the revision of regulations is not "silencing"
Liberal Party Chairman Zhang Yuren said that he has been in Parliament for more than 20 years and all parties have always respected each other. He described the Rules of Procedure as a "gentleman agreement", but the "opposition" has continued to abuse the procedure for more than a decade and "ungentle behavior." "It is emphasized that the amendment does not "silence" the voice of members and the monitoring of funding procedures, but only makes the meeting procedures more efficient and balances different factors.
According to Pakatan Harapan Lin Jianfeng, the community has been expecting the Legislative Council to monitor government administration through high-quality deliberations and appropriate speeches. However, in the past few years, the Legislative Council has been caught in a chaos that cannot bear to be obstructed. Many citizens are also very disappointed. They hope that the revised procedures will bring the chaos out and cooperate with the implementation of patriots ruling Hong Kong, so that the Parliament will have a new look.
He Junyao criticizes Guo Rongkeng: Regrets that he walked away with his shoes
He Junyao emphasized that after the revised procedures, the Finance Committee was not a rubber stamp. He also pointed out that the revision of the procedures for the election of chairmen and vice-chairmen was because the former vice chairman Guo Rongkeng "abuses power" and said that the other party had made " The things that hurt the spirit of Hong Kong’s rule of law and statutory mechanisms are very bad,” he added: “I regret that he (Guo Rongkeng) has no shoes and clogs, and he will not stand in Hong Kong anymore. He will eat his own consequences, knowing the consequences of today. Why bother in the beginning."
The meeting started at 2:45 pm. After the representatives of the various parties made their speeches, the Finance Committee passed a motion to amend the meeting procedures with a show of hands, which lasted only about 20 minutes.
The "37A" non-binding motion to distribute money to all people once embarrassed the establishment
Section 37A of the "Finance Committee Meeting Procedures" stipulates that members can propose non-binding motions without notice at the meeting. Even if the motions are passed, the government does not need to follow them.
The pro-establishment faction revised its procedures in 2018, stipulating that each committee member can propose no more than one "37A" proposal for each agenda item. However, after the amendment, the pro-establishment faction still embarrassed.
In February 2020, the Finance Committee reviewed the funding of 30 billion yuan for the anti-epidemic and anti-epidemic fund. The then leader of the Civic Party, Yang Yueqiao, proposed the "37A" motion, suggesting that the government distribute a total of 10,000 yuan to each person to assist all Hong Kong citizens in the epidemic Overcoming the economic difficulties under the rages, the Finance Committee handled the motion with 24 votes in favor and 36 votes against it, and the establishment that opposed the motion became a target.
After the incident, the establishment sent empty groups to respond in a high-profile manner and clarify the "bomb bombing". At that time, they explained that the interim motion was not binding, and after the meeting passed the resolution of the motion, it had to be debated and voted, which took more time.
The Finance Committee allocates 800 million yuan to the New Territories North Development Survey and Research. Liu Guoxun advocates connecting the Hong Kong-Shenzhen railway to check the construction and repair of the "House Rules". Only Zheng Songtai objected to finance and accounting advocating the funding procedure
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