Taichung City Council Advances Toxic Oil Scandal Probe Amidst Opposition Pressure

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus at the Taichung City Council pushed for an immediate investigation into the toxic oil scandal, demanding that the special report on the matter be moved up from its scheduled July 31 date. Lawmakers argued that the food safety issue was urgent and criticized Mayor Lu Shiow-yen for what they perceived as negligence and misplaced priorities.

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Food safety is a matter of central and local cooperation. The central government has its responsibilities, and the local government has its responsibilities. Chung-Lien Oil, Fu-Shou, and Fu-Mao Oil are in Taichung. The competent authorities for inspection, testing, and penalties are in Taichung, but the city government has only conducted one inspection in eight years. It has responsibility but does not take responsibility, and disappears when something happens.

DPP councilors, including Chen Shu-hua and Chen Yu-jung, accused Mayor Lu of "shirking responsibility" by attempting to shift blame to the central government. They alleged that while the city government is responsible for inspections and penalties related to local oil producers like Chung-Lien, Fu-Shou, and Fu-Mao, it had only conducted one inspection in eight years. The councilors further condemned the mayor for allegedly being absent during critical moments, such as a fire at the Fu-Shou plant, while actively participating in election campaigns for KMT candidate Johnny Chiang.

"You are busy campaigning for Johnny Chiang, there was a fire at the Fu-Shou plant, where were you?" Chen Shu-hua questioned, accusing the mayor of being a "godmother" figure who neglects her mayoral duties. The DPP caucus proposed the formation of a special investigation team within the city council to thoroughly examine the food safety incident. They also demanded an apology from Mayor Lu to the citizens of Taichung and called for the resignation of relevant bureau chiefs.

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You are busy campaigning for Johnny Chiang, there was a fire at the Fu-Shou plant, where were you? You ran to Taipei to take to the streets, forgetting you are the mayor. The godmother you speak of in your mouth is actually yourself. Have you apologized for the African swine fever and the Dali garbage mountain that occurred in Taichung City in the past?

In response to the pressure, Taichung City Council Speaker Chang Ching-chao ruled to advance the special report on the edible oil mechanism to July 29. The council also approved the DPP's proposal to establish the "Taichung City Council Chung-Lien Soybean Salad Oil Food Safety Incident Investigation Team." The council's four-day session will now address the food safety concerns earlier than initially planned, reflecting the urgency demanded by the opposition.

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Mayor Lu stated that she would not stay in Taichung to handle the food safety storm last weekend, but instead went to Ketagalan Boulevard for a march, publicly calling for President Lai Ching-te to face the issue; when a food safety incident occurs in the city governed by the mayor, she should explain to the citizens where the supervision mechanism has failed, instead of going to Ketagalan Boulevard for exposure and shifting all blame to the central government. This is simply political posturing, and the person who should face the public is Mayor Lu.