City’s leader tells TVB that his administration has not solved all livelihood issues, especially housing
ALLEN.AUYEUNG@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Sunday, 29 May, 2016, 10:31pm
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying did not reveal whether he would run for another term. Photo: Sam Tsang
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying gave no clear signal about whether he would seek a second term next year but admitted his administration had not solved all livelihood issues, especially housing.
But the city’s leader urged whoever will take up the job to continue the policies he launched.
In the second part of a three-part television interview aired on TVB on Sunday night, Leung was asked whether Hong Kong people had had their housing needs addressed.
He replied: “Not yet, not yet, not yet ... We are still far away from ‘living in happiness’.”
Leung said there was opposition in districts to the building of more public housing.
“Some district councillors in the past told us: ‘If green belt land is used by the government to build private housing, they will not oppose it. If it is used to build subsidised flats for sale, they will not oppose it. But if it is used to build public rental flats, they will oppose it.”
Leung added: “The life of the grassroots is still very tough ... Our elderly pick up cardboard; our friends in catering have to work 14 hours every day.
“Our administration has never avoided difficult issues during this term.”
When asked whether he would want five more years to continue the unfinished work he started, Leung said: “I wish our policy directions in the last four years, the way we worked and even the work that is now on track can be recognised by everyone.
“As a result, in the next five years, whoever is the chief executive, don’t throw away these things.
“I really don’t want to see, for example, the Poverty Commission being disbanded. I don’t want to see our 10-year housing plan abandoned.”
According to the Housing Authority, the average wait for family applicants for public rental housing has increased from 3.7 years last year to 3.9 this year. The number of applicants on the waiting list is around 284,800.
The government’s latest 10-year housing supply target has been lowered to 460,000 units, of which 40 per cent will come from the private sector.
Separately, Leung said on Sunday night he noted that some lawmakers wanted to inspect the Dongjiang in Guangdong, which is Hong Kong’s main source of water supply.
Leung said he would relay lawmakers’ messages to the relevant authorities on the mainland.
“Irrespective of whether it is Dongjiang water or other issues, we will try to create all kinds of chances to let all sectors in Hong Kong, including lawmakers, including pan-democrats, have more interaction and exchange with the central government,” he said.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1958800/hong-kong-chief-executive-leung-chun-ying-dodges-question
