If you were selected CE of Hong Kong, what law would you want to pass?
Every Wednesday we ask our Brain Game contestants one interesting, thought-provoking or just plain quirky question. Their answers will be published anonymously in Young Post. Then readers can vote for their FAVOURITE answer. We will eliminate the contestant with the LEAST votes every week until we have a winner.
The ultimate Brain Game winner will receive a pair of Beats Solo2 Wireless Headphones worth HK$2,598. Votes close at midnight on Sunday.
The contestants
Contestant 1
I would pass a law to ensure all families who live below the poverty line have access to affordable housing.
Hong Kong has one of the most expensive property markets in the world, and the wealth gap is widening, causing social instability. I’d introduce a policy that would provide subsidised housing for the underprivileged.
In 2015, a whopping 14.3 per cent of Hongkongers were living below the poverty line. We have a huge budget surplus which is not being used properly. Instead of being stingy with that money, I’d use some of it to help the needy.
I would build flats in underdeveloped or remote areas, such as Lantau Island, to make sure that the housing prices would remain stable. I’d also set up a good transport network, such as express shuttle buses, to provide easy access to Kowloon and
Hong Kong Island.
This law would help poor families and encourage unemployed people or those with lower incomes to find work in the city. Ultimately, it would help narrow the wealth gap.
Contestant 2
I would issue licences to hawkers, those people who sell food to passers-by from their little carts. They have been a feature of Hong Kong for a really long time, and rely on the licence for a living.
But the government stopped giving out these licences some years ago and they even limited the kinds of food that the hawkers can sell. That has made it harder for the hawkers to make money. Although the cart is small, it has most of the food items that locals crave. This is very convenient in Hong Kong, where there isn’t much space.
A lot of tourists who visit the city like to eat traditional street food. Some people say it’s not hygienic, but the food is really tasty.
A lot of low-income people rely on hawkers to have a cheap meal. So it would be wrong to get rid of the street vendors.
I also think it’s really impressive that the hawkers have managed to survive, despite Hong Kong’s rapid modernisation. These people represent our city, so it’s important not to lose them.
Contestant 3
In Hong Kong, there is a law that prohibits those aged 16 and under from staying at home alone. Children now are more mature and responsible than they were in the past. I believe this law is now outdated and should be changed.
There is some debate when it comes to children aged between 12 and 16. Some parents think that a child is old enough to stay home alone once they start secondary school – that’s when they are 12. Some families don’t have an adult who can stay home to look after children all of the time. Babysitters are expensive, yet some children finish school earlier than their parents finish work. In these situations, it would be easiest and most practical if a child could legally stay home alone. Of course, young children shouldn’t be left alone, but a 15-year-old is capable of looking after themselves for an hour or two. Even airlines allow children older than 12 to travel without an adult.
If I were the chief executive of Hong Kong, I would pass a law that would allow those aged 16 and below to stay home alone when necessary.
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