The Second term of Donald Tsang as Chief Executive of Hong Kong, officially referred to as "The 3rd term Chief Executive of Hong Kong" relates to the period of governance of Hong Kong since the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2012. Former civil-servant Donald Tsang was the Chief Executive throughout the duration.
Election
Donald Tsang won the landslide victory by winning 649 votes in the 800-member Election Committee against pro-democrat contender, Civic Party legislator Alan Leong.
Cabinet
Ministry
The bureaux were reorganised and expanded by adding one new Development Bureau headed by Carrie Lam.
Major change in the office was the Chief Secretary Henry Tang resigned from office in September 2011 in order to run in the 2012 Chief Executive election. The post was filled by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam.
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Executive Council non-official members
The Executive Council consisted of a total of 31 members: 3 secretaries of the department and 12 secretaries of the bureaux and 16 non-official members. In January 2009, Donald Tsang reorganised the Council by appointing 5 new members.
Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, the former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) resigned from the ExCo after he was elected as the President of the Legislative Council. The Chief Executive filled Lau Kong-wah, another DAB Legislative Council member to Jasper Tsang's seat.
Selina Chow of the Liberal Party resigned from the ExCo after she lost her LegCo seat in the 2008 Legislative Council election.
In October 2011, Leung Chun-ying resigned as the Convenor of the Executive Council non-official members to run for the Chief Executive election in 2012. Ronald Arculli became the Convenor until his term expired on 30 June 2012.
Second term
Five-year policy blueprint
Following his re-election as the Chief Executive in 2007, Tsang set out the 5-year blueprint for the Third Term HKSAR Government in his Policy Address (2007–08). He stressed the importance of "progressive development", a core element of which is the promotion of community development through revitalization of the built heritage in the city.which is to be realized by promoting economic development through infrastructure projects, promoting community development through revitalization, and promoting social harmony under the concept of helping people to help themselves.
Ten major infrastructure projects
Tsang has undertaken to push ahead with 10 large-scale infrastructure projects within his term of office to boost economic activities and improve the living environment in Hong Kong. Those projects include: (1) Extension of the mass transit railway to Southern District; (2) Sha Tin to Central Link; (3) Tuen Mun Western Bypass and Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link; (4) Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link; (5) Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge; (6) Hong Kong-Shenzhen Airport Co-operation; (7) Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop; (8) West Kowloon Cultural District; (9) Kai Tak Development Plan; and (10) New Development Areas at Kwu Tung North, Fanling North, Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling and Hung Shui Kiu.
Education reform
Placing a strong emphasis on education, Tsang decided to extend free education in Hong Kong from nine to twelve years starting from the 2008-2009 school year. Coupled with the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme, Tsang aimed at reducing inter-generational poverty by helping children of low-income families grow and learn from early childhood to adolescence.
Heritage Conservation
Tsang set up a Commissioner for Heritage Office and earmarked $1 billion to revitalize historic buildings. He also proposed a series of revitalization projects that would add a new dimension to Central. For instance, to reduce the development density of the Central Ferry Piers site and open up the public space along the waterfront for entertainment, recreational and cultural uses; to remove the Central Market from the Application List and hand it over to the Urban Renewal Authority for conservation and revitalization; and to convert the Murray Building into a hotel through open tender etc.