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DRAFT SPEECH BY HON S L CHEN, CBE, JP
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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12.6.85
Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Bill 1985
sir,
This afternoon will be long enough and I will speak only briefly to the Bill. There are two points I wish to
address.
When the Bill was introduced on 15th May it was presented as a measure to codify the existing powers and privileges of this Council. I think the scale and scope of the amendments proposed, in response to public representations and the views of the Unofficial Members of this Council, show that
it went beyond that understanding.
My second point is also a presentational one.
Powers
and privileges as enshrined in this Bill do not reflect the
common meaning of these words. The provisions of this Bill
provide for the orderly conduct of the business of this Council and it would have been far preferable in my view to present them as such, It has been argued that we are legislating "powers and privileges" for ourselves. This is also
misleading. We are proceeding with the business of this Council and seeking to codify for Hong Kong Legislative Councils of the future the powers and immunities we at present enjoy. With the amendments proposed, I am satisfied that they are necessary, indeed, essential, for the orderly, effective
and lawful conduct of the business of this Council.
the Bill.
Sir, on this understanding, I am pleased to support
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