2004-01-15 - 7:05 p.m.
��Not P, then not Q�� does not entail ��not Q, then not P��, that��s logic ABC. It is surprised that these two statements are confused, if not manipulated to mislead others, by the business leader Ronnie Chan in a public speech advocated for the maintenance of functional constituencies in the Legco (��Paying taxes gives people a stake in governance�� January 14).
Mr. Chan appealed to the famous saying in American history ��no taxation without representation�� to defend his actual assertion ��no representation without taxation��. While it was quite legitimate for the American revolutionaries to claim that ��if they are not duly represented, they should not be taxed��, it is unjustified to distort their ideas as ��if people are not considerably taxed, they should not be represented��. It is even preposterous to interpret the idea as ��more taxation, more representation��.
I agree it is unhealthy that government��s tax revenue depends disproportionately on a small portion of the population and it is time to consider broadening the tax base in both salaries tax and profits tax. However, that just does not mean tax contribution should be a qualification for election. No doubt, as a matter of political fact, people having great economic influence usually enjoy strong political influence as well; but pegging economic contribution and political privileges in terms of the right to vote is ridiculous. Our political leaders ought to represent everyone in the community, not just those who are taxing their money.
Mr. Chan was worried that universal suffrage would turn HK into a welfare state and the Chief Executive to be elected would be a free-lunch advocate. It seems that Mr. Chan is rejecting the implementation of universal suffrage not only in the near future but for ever; this is because no matter in 2007 or in 2012 or even in later years, there is always the possibility of a welfarist being elected. This position is even more conservative than that of some mainland officials. Yet, if the aim of election is to handpick a particular type of candidate (or to eradicate a particular type of candidate), then what is the point of such an ��election��?
Election is valuable because it guarantees a fair procedure in selecting political leaders as our proxies in public affairs, not because it guarantees the best candidates would be selected (still, it does not imply that the best candidates would definitely not be selected). We should not conceive election merely in consequentialist terms ; rather, we should try to appreciate the values behind�Xthe respect towards procedural justice and procedural rationality. Equal representation in election signifies our respect to basic human rights.
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