Legislative Council｜Priscilla Li Hui-quin analyzes why public interest in the Legislative Council has declined: “With fewer sparks, the viewership might be a little weaker.”

Although residents can see the topics discussed each week by the Legislative Council from the Legislative Council Gazette, the Legislative Council has further rolled out the “Weekly Meeting Highlights.” Legislative Council President Alice Li says this is hoped to help residents see the weekly hotspots of parliamentary affairs at a glance. Asked about the reasons the public is showing less interest in the Legislative Council, Alice Li believes there are many factors, one of which is: “The Legislative Council has fewer sparks, so naturally viewership may weaken a bit.” She stressed that she does not want the Legislative Council to become a confrontational setting.

Rolling out Weekly Meeting Highlights, hoping to help residents see the week’s hotspots at a glance

Alice Li yesterday said she would not promote the “Weekly Meeting Highlights,” but today (the 7th), during an interview on a radio programme, she said it is hoped to help residents see at a glance this week’s Legislative Council issues. The issues will be discussed with the Legislative Council Secretariat to determine which may be hotspots, and she also urged legislators to help with promotion.

When talking about the recent decline in public attention toward the Legislative Council, Li said there are many reasons. She described how the council has shifted from confrontation in the past to rational discussion, and she said:

Everyone follows their own script. With fewer sparks in the Legislative Council, naturally viewership may be somewhat weaker, but we all don’t want the Legislative Council to turn into a confrontational scene.

Asked whether she thinks there is less interaction between new lawmakers and reporters, Li said that currently she presides over meetings every Wednesday. “I don’t have it like before. On Wednesdays, I can stay here and chat with reporters.” But based on her observations, “the reporters are still there, and lawmakers are also more often seeking out reporters, and reporters are also looking for lawmakers.” She said reporters have been reporting many “whispers,” and she does not believe interactions between the two have decreased.

On whether, when lawmakers discuss and debate, it can be more than just reading from prepared scripts, Li said as the chair, she will definitely not restrict this matter, but she has shared with lawmakers that it is best not to read from scripts and that there should be interaction.