session.
As the Governor may wish to announce new appointments to the Executive Council before the next session of the Legislative Council starts, it is necessary that the Bill should be enacted during this
Given the straightforward and uncontroversial nature of this Bill, it is not considered likely that Members of the Legislative Council will raise any objection to taking
taking all three stages at one sitting.
Consultation
10
The proposal for an alternative oath is subject to Ministerial and Royal approval. It is hoped to obtain this shortly. The proposal has been discussed with officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who have agreed it in principle.
Public reaction
11
The public are expected to welcome the new Executive Council Oath just as they welcomed the new Legislative Council Oath.
12
Publicity for the Bill will undoubtedly lead to speculation that appointments to the Executive Council are
imminent.
Publicity
13
same time as
A press release will be issued at the Bill is published in the Gazette. This will say that in order to ensure as wide a field of candidates as possible for appointment to the Executive Council, two oaths will in future be available for use, the present one and an alternative, which does not contain an oath of allegiance to the Queen. The proposal for the new oath follows logically from the introduction last year of an alternative form of oath for Members of the Legislaive Council. That oath was well received and in the event was preferred by the large majority of those who entered the Legislative Council for the first time last October.
13
Should this announcement prompt the media to enquire whether new appointments to the Executive Council are imminent, they will be told that as and when the Governor makes appointments to the Executive Council an appropriate
announcement will be made.
CONFIDENTIAL