“Our mission and task has always been to find a pragmatic balance among competing interests that will serve the greatest common good.”
― Carrie Lam
“Someone said I have had my popularity diminished by getting into the controversy of national education. Perhaps they are right.”
― Carrie Lam
“I said before that I didn’t care much about my popularity. But did I make use of it? Yes.”
― Carrie Lam
“I’m fine with criticism against me.”
― Carrie Lam
“I am very careful about my health… For example, I have body check-ups regularly and take some medicines to control my blood pressure, because I have a little bit high blood pressure.”
― Carrie Lam
“Now, walking in the streets, people seem to have become richer and more willing to consume. It seems like everybody is ushering in a better future. This has given me great satisfaction and driven me to do more.”
― Carrie Lam
“Facebook is actually very easy to use. It’s not a difficult thing to me. I just write down a bit of my daily feelings.”
― Carrie Lam
“Fashion design is an important part of the creative industry that means the most to women.”
― Carrie Lam
“I am the first female chief executive of Hong Kong.”
― Carrie Lam
“Let’s face reality. To ensure Hong Kong remains competitive, we have to uphold a very low tax regime.”
― Carrie Lam
“If I paid more attention to my appearance, people might think that the proficiency of design industry isn’t too bad in a city with such a chief executive.”
― Carrie Lam
“Every day, I tell myself, ‘It will be better if I spend more time on thinking about good ideas and working instead of watching TV or shopping.’”
― Carrie Lam
“I believe the absolute majority of Hongkongers have never felt that Hong Kong independence is a viable option.”
― Carrie Lam
“An affection for Hong Kong and a national identity are not mutually exclusive. We can let children learn more about Hong Kong’s history, culture, politics, and social development, and at the same time, we must make them have their national identity.”
― Carrie Lam
“Some people advocate public nomination and a three-track system – allowing voters and political parties to make nominations along with the committee. These people do not want any screening of candidates, but they have not clearly defined the concept of ‘screening.’”
― Carrie Lam
“Any proposal that would usurp or water down the rights of the nominating committee would not be able to receive political support.”
― Carrie Lam
“Instead of wasting time on proposals which are difficult to forge consensus on, such as public nomination and party nomination, it’s better to focus the discussion on how to form the nominating committee and the nomination process.”
― Carrie Lam
“Usually, even when a bill draws extreme opinions, there can be a process of expression and negotiation.”
― Carrie Lam
“It’s neither appropriate nor responsible if I drastically amend a policy after one, two, or three submissions of opinion.”
― Carrie Lam
“We want Hong Kong to do well.”
― Carrie Lam
“Our common goal is to keep Hong Kong from chaos, severe polarisation, and violence.”
― Carrie Lam
“You cannot appreciate the sense of satisfaction that I get from my job.”
― Carrie Lam
“I set very high standards, normally for myself. For other people, I try to lower my standards.”
― Carrie Lam
“During the formulation of policies, we encourage discussion and listen. We should canvass opinions from all sectors of society – especially relevant stakeholders, those who work on the front line, and the youth – with a view to seeking consensus in society.”
― Carrie Lam
“There is no question of the government or myself attaching less importance to the use of English.”
― Carrie Lam
“There should be no doubt about my commitment to responding to questions from reporters in the same language that the question is asked.”
― Carrie Lam
“I grew up here with all other Hongkongers. My love for this place has prompted me to make many personal sacrifices.”
― Carrie Lam
“I have a husband at home who doesn’t care about politics or global affairs.”
― Carrie Lam
“There is no point helping some people when, the next day or when the next family comes into your office, you are not able to help them.”
― Carrie Lam
“If the chief executive cannot have a party background, how can she ensure her team is wholeheartedly united?”
― Carrie Lam
“I will comprehensively review the education system with my team to create a stable, caring, and inspiring environment for students, parents, teachers, and principals.”
― Carrie Lam
“We will value public engagement.”
― Carrie Lam
“Good policies need to come with good visions.”
― Carrie Lam
“The SCMP, in short, reveals the renewed spirit of Hong Kong driven by my government – connect and excel – and in its passionate commitment to the community.”
― Carrie Lam
“I am confident the SCMP and Hong Kong will continue to grow and prosper, hand in hand, in this 21st century of opportunity.”
― Carrie Lam
“As a chief executive determined to lead Hong Kong to new heights, I am keenly aware of the immense responsibilities on my shoulders.”
― Carrie Lam
“The path for the democratic development of Hong Kong since the return to the motherland has been full of twists and turns. We have had some successes and some failures.”
― Carrie Lam
“Sometimes, government officials and legislators disagree on policies or issues. Yet, we invariably want the best for Hong Kong people.”
― Carrie Lam
“In the back of my mind, always, is the firmly held belief that public policies must serve the long-term interests and well-being of the community at large.”
― Carrie Lam
“I do believe Hong Kong’s 5 million eligible voters want the chance to elect their chief executive.”
― Carrie Lam
“When Hong Kong was under British administration, governors were dispatched from London to govern this city. We had no say in the matter.”
― Carrie Lam
“Although universal suffrage may not be a panacea for all social problems, it does have a profound bearing on the democratic development and governance of a place.”
― Carrie Lam
“Those who care about constitutional development should look beyond universal suffrage for the chief executive election and turn their sights to universal suffrage for Legco as well.”
― Carrie Lam
“With universal suffrage, every chief executive candidate must face the seven million people of Hong Kong, explain his or her political platform and mission, and win over the people by addressing their interests and concerns.”
― Carrie Lam
“Governance under a chief executive elected by universal suffrage will give fresh impetus to economic and livelihood policies.”
― Carrie Lam
“Most elderly are retirees with relatively low incomes. But some may possess assets, and they will be classified as poor. As such, the elderly poverty rate could be overstated.”
― Carrie Lam
“It’s clear that means testing can direct limited resources to the elderly in need and achieve better results in poverty alleviation.”
― Carrie Lam
“Low rents mean families have more resources to improve their quality of life and invest in the next generation, facilitating upward mobility.”
― Carrie Lam
“Laws, especially those of a constitutional nature like the Basic Law, which have been formulated through reasonable legislative processes, should never be freely interpreted or lightly abandoned.”
― Carrie Lam
“Real politics should work for the long-term and overall interests of the community.”
― Carrie Lam
“A consensus on realising the goal of universal suffrage is not unattainable if we bear the common good in mind, move a step further, and try to resolve the differences or even stop insisting on some of one’s own views.”
― Carrie Lam
“In my opinion, serving the common good is the true purpose of politics and is also the perspective through which our community should consider constitutional reform.”
― Carrie Lam
“Nobody wants a stalemate in constitutional development.”
― Carrie Lam
“I firmly believe that the wider community supports achieving the goal of universal suffrage for 2017 according to law. I also believe most political parties do not want to see a failure to attain the goal.”
― Carrie Lam
“Implementing universal suffrage for the 2017 election is a big step forward along our road to democracy. This is not only a solemn commitment of the central authorities to Hong Kong but also the aspiration shared by seven million Hong Kong people.”
― Carrie Lam
“It is my earnest hope that all parties across the political spectrum will bear Hong Kong’s long-term interests in mind, apply their political wisdom, and seek a consensus through open and rational communication with people of different views.”
― Carrie Lam
“We should widen our economic base and encourage businesses to move up the value chain and increase job diversity.”
― Carrie Lam
“Hong Kong needs population growth to cope with a rapidly ageing population.”
― Carrie Lam
“A well-educated, hard-working, flexible, and enterprising workforce has always been one of Hong Kong’s greatest strengths.”
― Carrie Lam
“We should strive to be the most sophisticated and efficient platform for the world to do business with the mainland and for Chinese enterprises to be connected with the world.”
― Carrie Lam
“Relative poverty acknowledges that the definition of poverty should move with the times.”
― Carrie Lam
“While easy to understand, the income-based poverty line has limitations. Specifically, the median monthly household income measures only income without considering assets.”
― Carrie Lam
“Given the relativity concept, poverty cannot be eliminated. Indeed, an economic upturn with a broad improvement in household income does not guarantee a decrease in the size of the poor population, especially when the income growth of households below the poverty line is less promising than the overall.”
― Carrie Lam
“We should continue to grow our economy and create employment opportunities, particularly quality jobs to help the upward mobility of young people.”
― Carrie Lam
“I have been a civil servant and a politician for over 30 years.”
― Carrie Lam
“I have hobbies.”
― Carrie Lam
“Work is my top priority.”
― Carrie Lam
“I have talked to my husband and asked him to come back and be with me more. He likes to stay in Britain and do what he likes to do.”
― Carrie Lam
“I do have a lot of care, concern, and compassion for disadvantaged people.”
― Carrie Lam
“I think housing is not a simple commodity because we are so in short supply of land. So the government has a role to play in providing housing – decent housing and affordable housing – for the people of Hong Kong.”
― Carrie Lam
“Hong Kong is not an independent entity… and cannot decide, on its own, its political development.”
― Carrie Lam
“I have no political issues that I need to seek central authorities’ advice on.”
― Carrie Lam
“You have to understand that under One Country, Two Systems, we are a separate customs authority in the same way we are a separate member of the World Trade Organization.”
― Carrie Lam
“The important thing for the government to do is to help people who cannot help themselves by providing a range of support.”
― Carrie Lam
“Hong Kong is a wonderful city.”
― Carrie Lam
“I want people to be happy and to enjoy Hong Kong.”
― Carrie Lam
“At the end of the day, we must respect the rule of law in respective jurisdictions.”
― Carrie Lam
“I just want to work with legislative council members from across the political spectrum to get things done.”
― Carrie Lam
“I think it’s not just a matter of building more houses, more flats. We need to have the right policies. I want people to be able to own their flats.”
― Carrie Lam
“It’s impossible for the government to curb property prices.”
― Carrie Lam
“I hope people from the social work profession do not encourage labelling.”
― Carrie Lam
“We are not trained to please everybody.”
― Carrie Lam
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