City leader John Lee highlights national integration and post-disaster relief work for Wang Fuk Court as key tasks for new Legco and government

Introduction

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Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council is holding its first meeting on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to focus on follow-up actions after last year’s Tai Po fire that claimed at least 161 lives.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu addressed the new batch of 90 lawmakers, highlighting government priorities that included rehousing arrangements for displaced residents, reforming industry practices and holding those responsible for the tragedy accountable.

Lee’s address was followed by a government motion seeking the chamber’s support for relief efforts. A lawmaker will then move another motion related to anti–bid-rigging measures.

Eyes are on whether top officials will provide more clarity on resettlement plans for displaced Wang Fuk Court residents and the progress of the government’s inquiry.

The Post is following the full-day meeting, which also gives the public their first look at the performance of lawmakers, including new president Starry Lee Wai-king and 40 first-time members.

Reporting by Matthew Cheng, Leopold Chen and Natalie Wong

Call for body to oversee building renovations

Newly elected lawmaker Christine Fong Kwok-shan calls on the government to set up a statutory body to oversee building renovation projects, monitor the performance of contractors and consultants and provide technical assistance to homeowners.

She says the authority can introduce a rating system for contractors to enhance transparency. Fong also proposes using artificial intelligence (AI) to consolidate construction cost data from previous projects to inform homeowners of market prices.

She further calls for imposing stricter penalties and strengthening the Competition Commission’s powers to combat bid-rigging.

Don’t mix bid-rigging with the fire: lawmaker

Election Committee lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo, a veteran town planner, says the government should help affected residents rebuild their homes but should not compensate them for their losses with public funds “on behalf of citizens”.

He also cautions against on-site redevelopment, saying the chance of recovering all property rights in a short time is “close to zero”.

“If the government fails to do so, it will eventually have to reclaim them compulsorily by law, thus triggering the statutory compensation mechanism,” he says.

Lam warns against “mixing bid-rigging with the fire,” which he says will “distract from the main discussion.” He adds that anti-bid-rigging efforts are a complex issue that requires independent scrutiny.

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