Consultative Q&A sessions proposed

May 9, 2023

Chief Executive John Lee:

This proposal that I have just made about an interactive and consultative Q&A (question and answer) sessions in LegCo (Legislative Council) will take place in an open session, of course, and it will take place in the same way as the usual CE’s (Chief Executive’s) Q&A session.

I have explained that the proposal that I am making has the advantages of three current LegCo processes, which are, first of all, the usual CE’s Q&A session, the second is the motion debate and the third is the CE’s Policy Address consultation.

After I have reviewed the experience of my last visit with LegCo members to GBA (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) Mainland cities and also reviewed my experience in almost one year (of) our interaction with LegCo members, I have come to a conclusion that there can be more we can do to allow “patriots administering Hong Kong” to realise even stronger potential and create stronger values.

How do we do that? Because the last experience in the GBA visit indicates that patriots can unite together to do things with a common purpose. And the common purpose is very clear for patriots, is that we will try to make good policies and measures that will create positive values for Hong Kong, whether (it) is for economic development or building a liveable city.

So my intention is (to) make the time productive and useful, combining all the three advantages of the processes that we have gone through before. The LegCo Q&A (sessions) allow me to explain my policies and allow legislators to ask me questions so that I will be able to communicate with them and also with the citizens. The motion debates allow both sides to tell (more) about what they believe and also make recommendations of measures and new policies. Then, the CE’s Policy Address consultation, of course, will be most vital in collecting opinions and views to assist the Chief Executive to formulate his policy decisions.

So combining all these three advantages in a Q&A session will create extra value because it is a good use of time.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive John Lee today proposed to hold the first interactive and consultative question-and-answer (Q&A) session in the Legislative Council on May 18.

He made the suggestion ahead of this morning’s Executive Council meeting and explained to reporters that such Q&A sessions will combine three specific advantages.

Mr Lee said: “After I have reviewed the experience of my last visit with LegCo members to Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mainland cities and also reviewed my experience in almost one year of our interaction with LegCo members, I have come to a conclusion that there can be more we can do to allow “patriots administering Hong Kong” to realise even stronger potential and create stronger values.

“How do we do that? Because the last experience in the Greater Bay Area visits indicates that patriots can unite together to do things with a common purpose. And the common purpose is very clear for patriots, is that we will try to make good policies and measures that will create positive values for Hong Kong, whether it is for economic development or building a liveable city.

“So my intention is to make the time productive and useful, combining all the three advantages of the processes that we have gone through before. The LegCo Q&A sessions allow me to explain my policies and allow legislators to ask me questions so that I will be able to communicate with them and also with the citizens. The motion debates allow both sides to tell more about what they believe and also make recommendations of measures and new policies. Then, the CE’s (Chief Executive’s) Policy Address consultation, of course, will be most vital in collecting opinions and views to assist the Chief Executive to formulate his policy decisions.

“So combining all these three advantages in a Q&A session will create extra value because it is a good use of time.”

The topic for the first interactive session scheduled for May 18 will be about the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as well as the first session of the 14th National People's Congress and the first session of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.