John Lee vows full accountability for Wang Fuk Court fire at first LegCo sitting

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to pursue full accountability over the Wang Fuk Court fire as the eighth Legislative Council convened its first meeting on Wednesday, using the sitting to address relief and long-term arrangements for affected residents.

It was the first time in nearly 28 years of the legislature’s history that a chief executive delivered a speech at the chamber’s inaugural meeting.

Lee told lawmakers this morning that the government would move quickly to finalize long-term housing plans for families displaced by the Tai Po blaze, while law enforcement agencies and an independent commission would investigate the incident “without fear or favor” to establish responsibility.

He said the fire had exposed deep-rooted problems in systems that have been in place for many years, and that reforms across multiple areas would be pursued alongside immediate improvement measures.

Lee told lawmakers the government had already assigned a social worker to each affected household last week to collect views on rehousing preferences. He said officials understood the need to respect residents’ wishes while making good use of public resources, and promised that different options would be put forward so a final plan could be settled as soon as possible.

He also outlined a series of regulatory and governance reforms now being pursued, including the establishment of a task force to strengthen fire safety governance, tighten accountability, and review statutory duties and penalties for all stakeholders.

The government will also enhance the Buildings Ordinance and the Building Management Ordinance to improve oversight of large-scale maintenance projects, increase penalties for violations by registered professionals and contractors, and raise the threshold for owners’ attendance and voting on major works and expenditures, said Lee. The functionality of the Tender Advisory Panel scheme will also be upgraded.

Lee repeatedly stressed that accountability would not stop at symbolic gestures, saying both the independent committee and law enforcement bodies would be fully supported in tracing responsibility for the disaster.

He said anyone found to be responsible, whether inside or outside government and regardless of rank, would face consequences based on the facts.

Addressing lawmakers directly, Lee urged them to approach their duties with courage and responsibility.

He said they should reflect public opinion but not simply follow prevailing sentiment, and instead lead society by providing accurate information and filtering out misinformation to “exercise the influence of a governing body.”

He added that the government was willing to listen to criticism, saying legislators should point out problems and offer solutions when they disagreed with policy, and that officials would consider such views seriously. At the same time, he said lawmakers should also speak fairly when government decisions were right.