Lee Tung-hao explained

Thomas Lee
Lee Tung-hao
Native Name Lang:zh-tw
Honorific-Suffix:MLY
Smallimage:台灣軍方展示自行研發的高科技武器 04.jpg
Order:Member of the Legislative Yuan
Constituency:Republic of China
Term Start:1 February 2012
Term End:31 January 2016
Constituency1:Republic of China
Term Start1:1 February 2002
Term End1:31 January 2005
Birth Date:1955 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Taipei County, Taiwan
Party:People First Party
Nationality:Taiwanese
Alma Mater:National Taiwan University
Ohio State University
Occupation:politician
Profession:economist

Lee Tung-hao (; born 7 October 1955) is a Taiwanese economist and politician also known by the name Thomas Lee. He has served as a member of the Legislative Yuan twice, from 2002 to 2005, and again between 2012 and 2016.

Academic career

Lee graduated from National Taiwan University with a bachelor's degree in economics and later earned a doctorate in the subject from Ohio State University in the United States.[1] [2] Outside of politics, Lee has taught finance at National Chengchi University.[3] [4]

Political career

Lee was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2001 via the People First Party proportional representation party list. In 2004, he was named a defendant in two court cases, as Chen Che-nan and Chang Ching-fang separately charged Lee with libel.[5] Later that year, Lee offered to resign his legislative seat, as PFP chairman James Soong attempted to join the body and engage President Chen Shui-bian in debate.[6] After Lee's first term expired, he was nominated by the People First Party to join the National Communications Commission.[7] In 2011, Lee was again placed on the party list ballot as a PFP legislative candidate.[8] During his second legislative term, Lee served as caucus whip for the People First Party.[9] In November 2012, he attended a student-led protest against the monopolization of media in Taiwan.[10] Lee opposed the 2013 passage of the Senior Secondary Education Act and Junior College Act because he believed that the laws did not allocate enough money to the education system.[11] After the 2014 Kaohsiung gas explosions, Lee proposed special statues that would help relief efforts.[12] In 2015, Chen Yi-chieh, Kao Chin Su-mei, Hsu Hsin-ying, and Lee founded a new legislative caucus named the New Alliance.[13]

Political stances

Lee supported the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between China and Taiwan.[14]

He has stated that ractopamine use in beef "is not an urgent issue."[15] After the Codex Alimentarius Commission voted to permit trace amounts of ractopamine in beef, Lee suggested that the government adopt the international standard and propose legislative amendments to allow the United States to export beef to Taiwan.[16] [17]

Lee became known as "the cannon of tax reform" in part due to his support of the capital gains tax.[18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Lee Tung-hao (5). 1 May 2017. Legislative Yuan.
  2. News: Lee Tung-hao (8). 1 May 2017. Legislative Yuan.
  3. News: Chou. Stanley. Chung Shing Commercial Bank a hot potato. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 26 February 2002.
  4. News: Lin. Jackie. MasterCard offering firms a line of corporate credit. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 26 April 2005.
  5. News: Wu. Debby. Political parties exchange lawsuits over donations. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 13 February 2004.
  6. News: Hong. Caroline. Soong reiterates plan to join legislature for debate. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 28 September 2004.
  7. News: Ko. Shu-ling. DPP wants pan-blues to re-nominate. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 24 November 2005.
  8. News: Mo. Yan-chih. 2012 ELECTIONS: Soong signs up for presidential race. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 25 November 2011.
  9. News: Shih. Hsiu-chuan. Wang. Chris. Last-ditch talks ahead of extra session. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 24 July 2012.
  10. News: Wang. Chris. Cole. J. Michael. Hundreds of university students gather in Taipei to protest Next Media deal. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 30 November 2012.
  11. News: Shih. Hsiu-chuan. Legislature passes new education laws. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 28 June 2013.
  12. News: Shan. Shelley. KAOHSIUNG DISASTER: PFP moot chemical regulations. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 5 August 2014.
  13. News: New caucus formed to connect blue, green camps. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 25 February 2015.
  14. News: Shih. Hsiu-chuan. Panelists weigh pros and cons of ECFA with China. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 2 May 2010.
  15. News: Wang. Chris. Extra session will focus solely on beef: Wang. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 19 June 2012.
  16. News: Shih. Hsiu-chuan. KMT lawmakers want beef to be first. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 7 July 2012.
  17. News: Chang. Rich. US BEEF CONTROVERSY: Farmers plan protest in Taipei. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 18 February 2012.
  18. News: Hsiao. Alison. Revoking of capital gains tax approved. 1 May 2017. Taipei Times. 18 November 2015.