As a responsible Government, the administration may need to move forward if Legislative Councillors continue to delay debating the non-binding motion on the co-location arrangement for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam made the statement to the media today after pro-democracy lawmakers continued to block the discussion.
“If members of the Legislative Council, some of the members of the Legislative Council, use this process to filibuster, to delay the discussion and the resolution of the government motion, then being a responsible Government, I have no choice but to do what is right for the purpose of this exercise.”
She said the broad community wants the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail to be commissioned upon completion.
Mrs Lam emphasised if the aspiration cannot be fulfilled due to legislators blocking the XRL debate, the Government must address the situation.
“If that objective could not be met because of objection and disruption by some of the members of the Legislative Council, the Government could not just sit back and watch the situation. We have to respond, and respond in a very responsible way,” she said.
She did not rule out the possibility of starting the three-step process to implement the arrangement.
Under the plan, once a comprehensive agreement on co-location is reached by Hong Kong and the Mainland, it must be approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and then legislation will be formulated and implemented in Hong Kong.
“I will watch the situation very closely to decide what is the responsible step that the Government should take in order to commission the high-speed rail Hong Kong section on time, that is the third quarter of 2018, to meet the wishes of the community,” Mrs Lam added.
