Government bureau overhaul; and volcano eruption near Tonga

8:30am-9:15am: government bureau overhaul

8:30am-9:15am: John Burns, Emeritus Professor and Honorary Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong

8:40am-9:00am: Regina Ip, lawmaker, member of the Executive Council; and chairwoman of the New People’s Party

9:00am-9:15am: Dr Stephen Wong, Election Committee lawmaker; Our Hong Kong Foundation Senior Vice President & Executive Director of Public Policy Institute

9:15am-9:30am: Tonga volcanic eruption

9:15am-9:30am: Prof Shane Cronin, School of Environment, University of Auckland

Today we’re talking about a coming government bureau overhaul; and the huge underwater volcano eruption near Tonga.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam set the tables for what would be the biggest government revamp since 2007 — laying out a plan for her successor to restructure existing bureaus and create two new ones.

The proposals would see a new Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau being created. Housing and transport would be split up, and the health bureau would get to focus on its core business as its food portfolio is transferred to a new Environment and Ecology Bureau.

Would such changes improve governance? Will it happen at all? Can it help to solve deep-seated problems such as the housing shortage?

After 9.15am, we'll speak to an expert about the massive volcanic eruption near Tonga that was felt across the world and triggered a tsunami that caused two people to drown in a beach in Peru.