Opinion | If Hongkongers' support for Legco is waning, it isn't just lawmakers' fault
- Political veteran Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai suggests cutting the 90-seat Legislative Council to save cash.
- Public satisfaction with the legislature has cratered to under 30 percent.
- Lawmakers are making headlines for ridiculous proposals like 'baby lotteries' instead of serious policy.
- The Chief Executive's heavy-handed approach has effectively neutered the council's role as a government watchdog.
Brief Summary
Hong Kong's Legislative Council is facing a crisis of confidence as the body struggles to justify its bloated 90-seat roster. Political heavyweight Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai has openly questioned the price tag of the current setup, echoing a growing public sentiment that the legislature is both expensive and disconnected from reality. With satisfaction ratings in the basement, the council is increasingly viewed as a rubber stamp prone to absurd policy suggestions rather than substantive governance.
Why This Matters
This serves as a stark reminder of what happens when a legislative body loses its teeth. By prioritizing performative patriotism over genuine oversight, the council has become a collection of costly figureheads. You should care because this is a textbook case of institutional decay: when elected officials stop holding the government accountable and start focusing on gimmicks to stay relevant, the entire structure of checks and balances collapses, leaving the public footing an increasingly expensive bill for a government that ignores them.