‘My way or the highway’ is no way to make informed policy for Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s government will launch a consultation exercise on the city’s first five-year plan next month. The plan is set to be released before the end of the year. It’s a monumental task.Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank and former head of the government’s now-defunct Central Policy Unit, has warned as much, saying: “It took years for local governments on the mainland to master the research and strategic thinking required to deliver a robust five-year plan.”With talk of the government gathering views from different sectors, including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu joining sessions for direct feedback, it is important to also look at how the government will engage the public.