The Government has announced that the proposed Central Government Offices at Tamar is a community project. As such, it is entirely reasonable for the Government and the Legislative Council to require the Project to have the support of at least 70% of the Hong Kong community.
Recent public opinion surveys show that up to now the Government's claim of having 70% public support is incorrect and that at present, the overwhelming majority of the public is against the Project.
The recent public opinion survey commissioned by the South China Morning Post and conducted by the Public Opinion Programme of The University of Hong Kong showed that only 28.1% of the public supported the Project, 28% wanted Tamar to be used for recreational and cultural activities, 26.4% for a public park and 12.2% for commercial building.
The recent survey conducted by Apple Daily showed that only 32% of the public supported the Project while 48% opposed it.
The recent survey conducted by Commercial Radio even showed that 87% of the people opposed the Project and only 13% supported it.
Since the hand-over, Tamar is the most important project for Hong Kong not only because of its huge size and unique location on the Central Harbourfront nor because of the huge public investment of $5.2 billion, but because in the eyes of the world, this high profile Project is a test whether our unique political system: ‘one country two systems' is working properly.
The system will only be seen to be working properly if the Government can win over the support of the public for the Tamar Project such that our Legco, which is the guardian of public interests and representing the people of Hong Kong, can legitimately support the Project and approve the funding.
In its Policy Address 2005, the Government had announced that it would be a “people-based government ( 以民為本 )” and pledged that “public opinion underpins the strength of our leadership”. This must mean that the Government will place the interests of the people above all other interests and that public opinion will be respected.
Therefore as a matter of public duty, until the Government can successfully win over public support for the Project, it will not be right for the Government to apply for funding nor for Legco to grant it. To do so in the face of overwhelming public objections will mean that both the Government and Legco are failing in their duties to look after public interest and placing their own self interests above public interests.
Funding approval is of paramount importance. Once funding is approved by Legco, Government can legally enter into binding contracts with the contractors and there is no turning back. The public and Legco will have no further say no matter what the Government may now promise. The present guiding principle must be: no funding approval by Legco until the public gives its support to the Project.
The correct way forward is for Government to allow itself more time to win over public support by satisfying the following public concerns:-
• Whether there is a genuine need for the proposed Central Government Offices?
• Why it has to be on Tamar?
• Whether the expenditure of $5.2 billion of public funds is justified?
• Whether the Tamar Project including the building design will satisfy environmental concerns?
• Whether the present Central Government Offices sites will be sold for re-development in order to recover the costs of the Tamar Project?
• Whether the environmental and traffic impacts of such re-development will be acceptable to the public, especially those living in the mid-levels?
In the light of the present overwhelming public opposition to the Project, this need for further public consultation is self-evident. This need has the overwhelming support of the public according to the Public Opinion Survey just completed by the Public Opinion Programme of The University of Hong Kong. We expect this very reasonable proposal to be also supported by our community leaders, by our Legco members and by the Government itself.
Further public consultation is clearly the only reasonable and responsible way forward. By doing so, both the Government and Legco will be demonstrating that they are prepared to respect public opinion and to live up to their commitments to the people of Hong Kong.
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