Talking points: what law should the newly elected Legco members try to pass first?
Hate it when you can’t talk back? Well, you can with Young Post. Have your say and share with students around Hong Kong
Nathan Law Kwun-chung (centre) won a seat in Hong Kong Island Geographical Constituency; and now the work begins.Natalie Lam, 15, Heep Yunn School
I think laws related to environmental protection should be passed first. Global warming is a very serious issue. Other than trying to come up with solutions for our present problems, planning for the future is necessary.
Anirudh Kannan, 16, South Island School
The Global Slavery Index has ranked Hong Kong alongside famously restrictive countries, such as North Korea, for its response to issues like human trafficking and forced labour. Because of this, the newly elected lawmakers should draft legislation to help eradicate slavery. Lawmakers should also launch campaigns to raise awareness of the issue and get more media attention. This would likely go a long way towards stamping out the problem in Hong Kong.
Veronica Lin, 17, Hong Kong International School
I think they should pass a law allowing mainland tourists to visit Hong Kong only once a month. Despite the economic benefits they bring, the large numbers of mainland tourists really interfere with Hongkongers’ daily lives, and the situation will only get worse as the conflict between locals and tourists intensifies.
Miuccia Chan, 15, Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section)
A law to ensure freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate. Not because we don’t have one already, but just to remind the government that Hong Kong students and teachers are entitled to voice their opinions, no matter what kind of message they are trying to convey to their audience.
Catherine Wang, 17, Chinese International School
The first law passed by the new-look Legco should address the lack of rights for helpers in Hong Kong, who are mainly from the Philippines and Indonesia.
In the past year, we have seen many cases of helpers being mistreated, exploited, beaten, and even abused by their employers. Only a few of these offenders have been charged and there has been little improvement in the situation.
Also, many helpers do not report incidents because they have to go through a complicated process.
The Legislative Council should introduce new, straightforward laws that would protect the rights of our domestic workers. These people are not only our “helpers”, but also our friends.
Nastassja Chan, 19, Emerson College
They should start focusing more on providing more counselling and mental health support to students. Only a very small percentage of people can get the help they need. That’s completely ridiculous – especially when the government has such a large amount of money just being saved.
Diva Saha, 16, King George V School
For our issue, we’ll discuss:
What food should be banned from Hong Kong?
We are now accepting answers from readers for this topic. To take part, email your answer with your name, age, and school, along with a nice, clear selfie (make sure it’s not blurry), to [email protected] by lunchtime on Monday, September 12. Don’t forget to include “Talking Points” in the subject line.