Hong Kong’s legislature has become a rubber stamp after the mass resignation of pro-democracy lawmakers, with one committee spending only two minutes to approve a HK$300 million (US$39 million) government project.

“Things are being rushed through the Legislative Council … There is less chance of exposing the problems in controversial bills,” said Ivan Choy, a politics lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“Government ministers and civil servants might become complacent, and stop paying attention to whether there are loopholes in policy.”

On Nov. 11, lawmakers from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp resigned en masse to protest Beijing’s disqualification of four democrats.

Facing no opposition, the public works subcommittee approved four proposals collectively worth HK$7 billion in a one-hour meeting. The HK$300 million project was passed with government officials sitting idly and no lawmaker raising questions.

The controversial reclamation project Lantau Tomorrow Vision — which would entail building 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of artificial islands — also received HK$550 million in funding after just two meetings of the finance subcommittee. The proposal received 33 “yes” votes from the pro-establishment camp and two abstentions.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam also faced a much more receptive audience in her question-and-answer session for her policy address. Lawmaker Jeffrey Lam of the Business and Professionals Alliance praised the chief executive in his speech, saying that she was “better than Superman.”

Lawmakers have also reduced their appearances in the media, with no pro-Beijing politician commenting on the layoffs at i-Cable’s news department.

“Neither the pro-democracy camp nor the pro-Beijing camp will speak on camera ... which will reduce the public’s attention to many things, and there will be fewer media reports as well,” Choy said.

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