Chart from Joel Chan – the six bars show median monthly household income for 4Q 2019-2024. After a post-Covid recovery from HK$26,500 in 2020 to HK$30,000 in 2023, it has dropped 1.3% to HK$29,600 in 2024. Why? Maybe it reflects migration patterns – higher-earning locals/expats leaving and lower-income Mainlanders coming in. Another factor could be the slump in the property market: if all the tens of thousands of real-estate agents in town see a big enough fall in commissions, it would show up in these stats. In due course, a civil-service pay cut would probably have an even bigger impact.
A survey by Ronny Tong’s Path of Democracy ‘think tank’ shows that 48% of Hongkongers are dissatisfied with the performance of the all-patriots Legislative Council…
Tong … said during a press conference on Wednesday that the high level of dissatisfaction could be attributed to the public perception that some lawmakers lacked “insights” and showed a passive attitude when scrutinising bills.
“People thought that many lawmakers made speeches only to flatter [Beijing] and that they seldom expressed their own insights,” Tong told reporters in Cantonese. “They were also seen as somewhat unfamiliar with or being passive in vetting bills.”
What do the other 52% feel? Maybe they have forgotten LegCo still exists.
NPC and CPPCC members also recently voiced concerns about the quality of lawmakers…
“Some lawmakers, especially newcomers, simply repeat leaders’ speeches or policies without offering innovation or practical suggestions,” one representative was quoted as saying.
Others reportedly expressed concerns about certain lawmakers prioritizing social media visibility over substantive contributions, describing their efforts as “attention-grabbing but shallow.”
The discussions also highlighted the need for fresh talent in the legislature as some suggested reducing the number of lawmakers from the current 90, arguing that the political landscape has shifted, leaving fewer opportunities for new lawmakers to shine.
“If you ask the public, how many can name even three new lawmakers? This shows the system needs re-evaluation,” a CPPCC member reportedly said.
Did we ever find out why, when LegCo became pretty much all-patriot and pre-approved/appointed, the number of seats rose to 90? Of course, if they cut the number of highly paid members, that would reduce median household income a bit more.
Leggers are merely performing to the proscribed formula:
Sit attentively through droning we know best preambles
Vote unamiously in support of the proposals
Stand and clap in unison
Newcomers can study the TV footage of the annual ‘consultations’ in Beijing for guidance.