High Tide (June 5th 2015) – Daily Political Round-up

Politics (Gov’t & LegCo)

Lawmakers block standard working hours legislation and lump sum welfare grant abolition.
– LegCo members blocked (in Chinese) a motion moved (in Chinese) by pro-establishment unionist Chan Yuen-han to enact legislation on standard working hours
– Lawmakers also voted (in Chinese) against a motion by Labour Party’s Cheung Kwok-chee to abolish the lump sum grant subvention system and the competitive bidding system implemented in the social welfare sector
– Cheung said the measures have damaged the ecosystem of the social welfare sector and led to a difference in salaries of the same type of works between the Social Welfare Department and non-governmental institutions
– Both motions were negatived in the functional constituencies
– Meanwhile, the Public Works Subcommittee has approved the expansion and renovation of the Hong Kong Museum of Art with an estimated cost of HKD934.4 million

Government promotes Guangdong-HK IP trade and protection.
– The Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises” was held in Guangzhou jointly by the Intellectual Property Department of the HKSAR, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Guangdong Intellectual Property Office and the Guangzhou Municipality Government
– Meanwhile, InnoTech Adviser and Exco member Nicholas Yang attended the reception of the launch of International IP Commercialization Council (IIPCC) Hong Kong Chapter and the signing ceremony between IIPCC and the Pacific Basin Economic Council – coverage will follow, stay tuned!

Gregory So attends OECD ministerial meeting in Paris.
– Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So attended a Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and a World Trade Organisation informal meeting on the margins of the MCM in Paris
– So will depart France tomorrow to join CY Leung, who will visit Toronto and Chicago to attend a campaign organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and meet with representatives and leaders of the political, business and education sectors

Diplomat

EU Diplomats join call for “pocket it first”.
– Representatives of foreign missions of 11 EU member states have met (in Chinese) with pan-dem lawmakers including Democratic Party’s Emily Lau, Civic Party’s Alan Leong and Kwok Ka-ki and Labour Party’s Lee Cheuk-yan
– It was reported that the lawmakers were advised to accept the terms on political reform given that Beijing will never promote democracy
– Meanwhile, moderate pan-dem Leung Ka-lau met (in Chinese) with CY Leung but maintained his stance against the reform while IT lawmaker Charles Mok turned down the CE’s invitation to talk

Politics (general)

Alternative June 4th vigils held as ‘localist’ sentiment grows.
– About 135,000 people joined the annual June 4th vigil in the Victoria Park, according to the organiser the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China (the Alliance)
– Police said the figure during peak time was 46,600
– Chairman of the Alliance Albert Ho admitted that the figure was lower than last year – indeed the lowest since 2008 – but stressed the it is a convincing sum
– Student leaders burnt the Basic Law and hoisted yellow umbrellas to call for a true universal suffrage
– Meanwhile, about 2,000 people joined the alternative vigil in HKU, which organisers claimed the Alliance is too attached to affairs in China and called for a more ‘localist’ approach to commemorate instead
– The more radical Civic Passion initiated a bus parade and later gathered in Tsim Sha Tsui
– About 100 people then marched to the Liaison OfficeUndocumented boy agrees to repatriation.
– Siu Yau-wai, an undocumented boy recently granted a permit to stay in Hong Kong, agreed to repatriation after his grandmother Chow Siu-shuen decided that the boy was not welcomed by the Hong Kong society
– But as Siu’s parents did not show up when he and his grandmother arrived in Shenzhen, the two were left homeless
– Chow said she regretted asking unionist lawmaker Chan Yuen-han for help, and murmured repeatedly that she has no choice but to send Siu to an orphanage
– Chan stated that she respected the grandmother’s decision but the repatriation has nothing to do with her