The dark side of localism
(Next Magazine, 2016/3/10, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) The dark side of localism Localism is on the rise. Edward Leung Tin-kei, a localist candidate, did not win a Legco seat in the New Territories East by-election. However, the more than 66,000 votes he garnered suggest that the sentiment to distance, orContinue reading>
Safeguard our freedom
(Next Magazine, 2016/2/11, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Safeguard our freedom The Heritage Foundation just named Hong Kong, for the 22nd consecutive year, the freest economy in the world. Some people are mystified by this singular recognition. They see instead creeping government intervention, rising vested interests and half the population inContinue reading>
Universal pension, universal failure
(Next Magazine, 2016/1/14, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Universal pension, universal failure Hong Kong became the prosperous success that it is today, precisely because we avoided the depredations of the welfare state established across the western world in the post war period. Without commitments from government to provide universally for theContinue reading>
Leave the property market alone
(Next Magazine, 2015/12/17, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Leave the property market alone CY Leung is half right. It is not the job of the government to guarantee that property prices will not drop. As if on cue, the property market reportedly peaked in September.Yet given our Chief Executive’s uncharacteristic restrainedContinue reading>
Government intervention corrupts
(Next Magazine, 2015/11/19, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Government intervention corrupts AS our former Chief Executive Donald Tsang stood trial for misconduct while in office, Legco rejected last week an attempt to extend anticorruption law to cover the head of government. By focusing primarily on taking pecuniary benefits, this narrow viewContinue reading>
Revive the growth of our capital
(Next Magazine, 2015/10/08, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Revive the growth of our capital In a very real sense, we ride on the shoulders of our forefathers. We owe our prosperity to the patient building up of capital by the people who have come before us. Their patient saving and investmentContinue reading>
Tax cut : A sure win election plank
(Next Magazine, 2015/9/17, A002, Second Opinion, Andrew Work) Tax cut : A sure win election plank A day doesn’t go by without speculation about who is giving the green light for various pro-establishment players to either lambaste Mr. CY Leung, the Chief Executive, or speculate about his replacement. Whether it isContinue reading>
A perfect storm
(Next Magazine, 2015/9/10, A004, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) A perfect storm There is every chance that Hong Kong’s economy is headed towards a perfect storm, where policies that might once have seemed sensible and affordable, can become a crushing burden. Think about the cumulative economic challenges. We have a symbiotic relationshipContinue reading>
Learn from Singapore
(Next Magazine, 2015/8/20, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Learn from Singapore If you have the wrong diagnosis you prescribe the wrong medicine and put at risk the health of the patient. That is the problem with our Chief Executive, Mr. CY Leung’s recent aim to address Hong Kong’s illnesses by abandoningContinue reading>
Education Bureau
(Next Magazine, 2015/8/13, A002, Second Opinion, Andrew Work) Education Bureau The Canadian International School’s (CDNIS) very public row may seem irrelevant to the average person on the street. Though the Education Bureau may have other priorities than the education of the children of affluent mainlanders, expats and locals, it needs toContinue reading>