John Tsang: mouse that failed to roar
Graeme Maxton says John Tsang failed to show any mettle in his budget, preferring to tinker at the edges and pander to tourists and the wealthy rather than help the majority of Hongkongers
In the brief moments I spent chatting to him last year before we both spoke at a conference, I think I can say that I liked John Tsang Chun-wah. He seemed a decent sort and well-meaning.
Though he spoke in that horribly confusing style that finance ministers around the world seem to prefer, he came across as someone who was trying very hard. He was doing a difficult job, too often constrained by the political tides that dragged him to and fro like driftwood.
The trouble, for me, was that Tsang was just a little bit too nice and his budget yesterday has done nothing to change this view. He needs to become much bolder if he is to have the impact he and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying really want.
Let's start where they should, and look at the big picture. Here, I think we can agree with Tsang that things are getting better, at least a little bit. The economy is growing healthily and the outlook is generally good. So, spending on public housing should go up and there are plans to make a little more land available.
The government will also undertake further efforts to tackle the appalling air pollution problems.
This is an opportune time, it seems, to promote cloud computing and to develop an "interactive portal to bring together the start-up community", whatever that means.