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On Today’s Tide:

1. Number of families living in subdivided flats projected to reach record high

2. Carrie Lam says low voter turnout may indicate good governance

3. Events & Exhibitions

Paid Tide readers get access to:

4. Senior Immigration Officials accused of receiving inappropriate gifts

5. Other news & updates!

Number of families living in subdivided flats projected to reach record high

New projections reveal that the number of families living in subdivided flats and other cramped spaces will likely hit a record 127,100 over the next ten years. The average wait time for government public housing currently sits at 5.9 years.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan says the government is still on track to meet the demand for better homes in the long term, with the Transport and Housing Bureau set to keep its current target of providing 301,000 new flats over the next 10 years. 70% of fresh housing supply is planned to be allocated to public housing. The newly proposed Northern Metropolis will also play a crucial role in alleviating issues of housing supply in the 10- to 15-year period after 2031-32.

COVID news

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection announces that as of midnight, no new #COVID19 cases have been recorded, leaving the number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong at 12,471

news.gov.hkNo new COVID-19 cases recordedThe Centre for Health Protection announces that as of midnight, no new COVID-19 cases have been recorded, leaving the number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong at 12,471.

8:58 AM ∙ Dec 8, 2021

Coronavirus in Hong Kong

• New cases: 0

Carrie Lam says low voter turnout may indicate good governance

Chief Executive Carrie Lam says that a low voter turnout at this year’s upcoming Legislative Council elections will not “mean anything”. In an interview with state-owned media outlet Global Times, Lam argued that low voter turnout could instead indicate a high degree of public satisfaction.

Mainstream pro-democracy parties have chosen to boycott this year’s election after the recent overhaul of the city’s electoral system to allow only ‘patriots‘ to stand for election.

“There is a saying from the government in the old days that when the administration is doing well and its credibility is high, the voter turnout will decrease because the people do not have a strong impetus to choose different lawmakers to supervise the government…therefore, I think the turnout rate does not mean anything.”

— Chief Executive Carrie Lam

Events / Exhibitions etc

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Events from our partners

• Humour along my Hairline - Vivek Mahbubani's solo English show

Looking for something funny and fishy this Christmas? Bilingual comedian Vivek Mahbubani’s latest show at Ocean Park is sure to drown you with laughter. Also he may run out of hair half way.

“It's the same venue that big names like Jim Jeffries have performed in and this time I'm using the ticking timebomb that is my receding hairline as a reason to do my solo show so people can at least one day say "I saw him when he was still hairy!"

Vivek ‘yeah I guess that’s pretty funny’ Mahbubani

Tickets available here.

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