given support for it at the 2
2 7th of February 1987.
and
in-house meetings on 13th
They may feel that they Owe some
loyalty to their senior member as well as to one another.
another cannot
I
But I must
appreciate their feelings and I respect them.
appeal to their better judgment because our loyalty to one
possibly out-weigh our loyalty to the people of
Hong Kong. If we feel therefore that the principle behind this
Bill is wrong because it restricts not only the freedom of the
press but also the freedom of expression, then we owe it to Our
conscience and to the people of Hong Kong to vote against
Own
it.
This Administration has
government by consensus.
its
always taken pride in
method of government, namely, government by consultation and
But how can it be government by
consultation or consensus when the people of Hong Kong are
given only less than 1 week to consider this Bill in its-
amended and extended form. And although the people of Hong
Kong and the concerned groups are given So little time, they
have acted promptly and have given many valuable suggestions.
Their views, albeit inexhaustive because- of the shortness of
time, do not deserve to be dismissed so lightly by this Council.
This Administration has openly denied that it is
rushing this Bill through, saying that the Bilb was first
gazetted on 19th December 1986. This is true. But I must
remind the Administration
that when it was gazetted,
the
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