Speaking record does not fully reflect lawmakers’ work, Hong Kong legislature president writes in op-ed rebuttal

A lawmaker’s speaking record does not reflect the entirety of their work, the president of Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” legislature has written in response to a media report that found some members had never spoken at certain committee meetings.

Newspaper Ming Pao on Monday published an opinion piece written by Legislative Council (LegCo) President Starry Lee, who said the paper’s front-page coverage last Friday “failed to comprehensively reflect the actual workings of the legislature and could easily mislead the public on the performance of some lawmakers.”

The newspaper revealed last week that at least 17 lawmakers had never spoken at some committee meetings, with five having no speaking record for meetings of more than one committee.

The five include the New People’s Party’s Adrian Ho and Dominic Lee, and social welfare lawmaker Grace Chan.

Besides attending weekly, LegCo-wide general meetings on Wednesdays, all lawmakers are also members of smaller topic-based committees such as transport, education or security, which also hold regular meetings.

In response to Ming Pao’s findings, many of the lawmakers said that they did not want to repeat what had already been said by other legislators.

Since an electoral overhaul that followed the passing of the Beijing-imposed national security law in 2020, only those deemed “patriotic” enough can be LegCo members. The LegCo no longer has any opposition members.

‘Division of labour’

In her opinion piece on Monday, Lee said Ming Pao’s report did not take into account the “division of labour” among lawmakers from the same political party, aimed at avoiding repetition.

“Lawmakers with political party affiliations often divide tasks at plenary sessions and committee meetings, with different members making inquiries or speaking on different topics to avoid repetition,” Lee wrote in her Chinese-language article.

“This division of labour is not only a norm in LegCo, it also serves as a reasonable arrangement to increase legislative efficiency,” she added.

Lee noted that the LegCo’s Rules of Procedure discourage legislators from making repetitive statements, referring to a 2017 clause that allows the president or committee chair to stop a speech on the grounds of “irrelevance or tedious repetition” – a rule that can be used to tackle lawmakers filibustering.

A lawmaker does more than speaking on the record. They also engage in dialogue with government officials and the public, she added.

“Legislators have to meet with stakeholders and residents on a daily basis, handle a large number of complaints and requests for assistance… and attend various official, industry, or community events,” she wrote.

“Such ‘invisible work’ is arguably more arduous than speaking at meetings, which people can see.”

The veteran lawmaker, who was first elected in 2008 and became the LegCo’s president this year, said the public should evaluate lawmakers’ speeches “by quality, instead of quantity.”

The LegCo is currently in summer recess, seven months after the current term began in January.

In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure “patriots” govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. Authorities say the overhaul ensures the city’s stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as much of the traditional opposition remains behind bars, in self-exile or has quit politics.