SCM.P. 20/10
Mass transit:
no decision till February
By A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The decision on the multi-million dollar mass transit system is not likely to be made public until next February or even March, it was learned last night.
Well-placed sources corrected a commonly-held misconception that the decision would be announced shortly after the new Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, takes office in the latter part of next month, and if not then, certainly before the end of the year.
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The position was, sources said, that Govern- ment's views on the Transport Advisory Committee's recom- mendations would be ready to go to the Executive Council and the Finance Committee by the end of the year, and it would not be for another two or three months before decision could be expected.
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The mass transit system, which is expected to cost $6,650 million, will be one of three major items Sir Murray is expected to consider in the early period of Governorship.
Reform
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The second is the controversial local government reform, the White Paper on which has been attacked by many unofficial members of the Urban Council.
Most vociferous are the five members of the Civic Association on the Council, who label it as "a document of limited vision and lacking in appreciation of the prevailing feelings of the people.'
Two elected independent members, Mrs Elsie Elliott and Dr Denny Huang, voiced similar opinions.
The Reform Club, which has three members sitting on the Urban Council, is drawing up a statement on the paper.
Government's attitude is that it is not prepared to reply to
individual comments on the White Paper.
However, sources close to Government said that the proposal to withdraw all official members from the Council one of the conditions to which the Civic Association takes strong exception was to give the unofficials a free hand in making policy.
Other sources also envisage that if the White Paper is adopted, it will mean a further expansion of the work of the Urban Services Department, perhaps developing into Urban Services Secretariat.
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The third issue that Sir Murray is expected to deal with is the establishment of labour courts to settle employer- employee disputes.
Legislation has been drafted governing the scope and powers of the courts, and it is expected the Bill will be introduced in the Legislative Council next month. Sir Murray will arrive on November 19.