There has been talk in the community of late that such subsidies should be discontinued. The elections of 1991 and 1995 were dominated by political issues - the shootings in Tiananmen in 1989 and, later, the electoral reforms of former governor Chris Patten. In this year of economic turmoil, however, the main themes are lay-offs, liquidations and lows in property and stock prices. But what caught my eye is the DAB's jobless relief program.
Economic uncertainty is one issue.
Health and the environment are others. And anyone who has been in the city 10 minutes can see how the environment is deteriorating - air pollution, a stinking harbor, closed beaches. And yet few parties have included such themes in their platforms. Loh fervently backs the creation of a food safety council. If many voters base their choices on economic platforms, some also will use their votes to punish candidates who sat in the provisional legislature Beijing set up after the handover.