White wedding, white bill

Unlike celebrities, politicians rarely speak up about their love lives. And when Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee did, she compared her marriage to the Article 23 legislation.

The lawmaker said marrying her first love, Sammy Ip Man-ho, wasn't easy, with her late husband's sisters once seeking an injunction against the couple sending wedding invitations in the family's name.

"They wanted to delay the wedding until I couldn't marry my husband," said the former security secretary, who said it had similarities to the challenges she faced when she tried to enact Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003.

"It reminded me of my marriage when I tried to pass the bill," Ip recalled. "Some complained about the absence of public consultation prior to the debate. But when I completed a three month consultation, they demanded a 'white bill' - that was definitely a move to derail the bill."