New Taipei City mayoral candidates Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) and Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) yesterday outlined contrasting visions for the city, with Lee pledging to carry on major infrastructure projects and Su calling for more balanced development across its districts. At the race’s only officially organized televised policy forum, Lee of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposed improving transport links with Taipei and developing an artificial intelligence (AI) industry corridor. Su of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) called for developing industrial parks across New Taipei City to bring jobs closer to residents.
From left, New Taipei City mayoral candidates Su Hui-huang, Lee Shu-chuan and Su Chiao-hui wait for a draw to determine the speaking order for their platform presentation at a televised policy forum in New Taipei City yesterday.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times
Drawing on four decades in public service, Lee pledged to continue rail projects initiated or advanced under two KMT mayors, Eric Chu (朱立倫) and incumbent Hou You-yi (侯友宜).“Bring in jobs, connect the transportation network, renew old buildings and take care of older residents,” Lee said, listing his priorities if elected.
Lee, 68, has served as deputy mayor of New Taipei City, Kaohsiung and Taipei. He stepped down as Taipei deputy mayor on March 10 and was nominated by the KMT the following day for his first bid for elected office. Lee wants to cut travel time between key areas of Taipei and New Taipei City to 30 minutes, partly by connecting the Xizhi-Donghu MRT line, now under construction, to the eastern section of the Circular Line. He also proposed a bridge linking New Taipei City’s Lujhou District (蘆洲) with Taipei’s Shezidao (社子島) area to improve access to the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park. Su emphasized the differing needs of the special municipality’s 29 districts.“People in urban areas want a more comfortable place to live, while coastal communities need job opportunities,” Su said. “Every district needs balanced development.”Her industrial development plans include a proposed science hub in Tamsui (淡水). She also cited the Ho-Hai-Yan Gongliao Rock Festival as an example of how the city could help communities develop their own cultural attractions. Su, 50, has won three consecutive legislative elections in New Taipei City since 2016. A victory would make her the DPP’s first New Taipei City mayor and end about 21 years of KMT rule in the city and its predecessor, Taipei County, where her father, former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), served as magistrate from 1997 to 2004. Both candidates called for faster urban renewal. Lee proposed establishing a mayor-led committee to coordinate work across city departments, while Su called for creating a dedicated department with more staff and technology to help review building plans. To ease the workload of civil servants, Lee called for simpler rules and greater discretion for staff. Su Chiao-hui pledged to issue guidelines for streamlining procedures within 100 days and said she would consider commuting and housing subsidies to retain staff. Lee cited private investment as a way to finance projects such as arenas. Su Chiao-hui proposed allocating the largest share of funding to industrial development, followed by funding to ease administrative workloads and support social welfare. Independent candidate Su Hui-huang (蘇輝湟) held up a property advertisement to highlight housing costs in Sanchong District. He has also proposed allowing a man to have two wives or a woman to have two husbands as a response to the nation’s low birthrate. The New Taipei City Election Commission organized the forum ahead of the Nov. 28 vote. The three candidates answered panelists’ questions without cross-examining one another.