1992-12-04 18:54 COMMS OFFICE (GOVT HOUSE)
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SATISFACTORY TO ALL HONOURABLE MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE HONOURABLE
MEMBER WHO PUT THAT POINT OF ORDER. I DON'T HAVE, I'M AFRAID,
WHOLE OF THE AFTERNOON, BUT I WILL ATTEMPT AS I HAVE BEFORE, TO
THE
SPEND
FOUR TIMES AS LONG ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS
THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
LEONG CHE-HUNG: THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. AS I'M GIVEN THE FIRST CHANCE TO
ASK A QUESTION I HAVE TO SAY THAT I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES WILL AGREE
WITH ME THAT IF IT IS YOUR CHOICE, YOU WILL BE MORE THAN WELCOME TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS AGAIN WITHIN THIS YEAR.
SIR, IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, AS YOU HAVE MENTIONED JUST NOW
YOURSELF THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SHARP WORDS, OR 'WAR' WORDS, MAINLY
FROM THE CHINESE SIDE, DOES THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OR THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT HAVE ANY PLANS TO THAW THE ICE, AS IT WERE?
GOVERNOR: I THINK IT'S
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER, IN
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION WHICH IS ON MANY PEOPLE'S LIPS, THAT THOUGH
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHARP WORDS, THERE HAVE BEEN NO SHARP WORDS FROM
THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG OR FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG. Ι
REMAIN RESOLUTELY DETERMINED TO BE CALM AND RATIONAL, AND TO SET OUT
FOR THE COMMUNITY WHAT THE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS ARE FOR CONSIDERING, AS
WE MUST, HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS. I CONTINUE TO SAY,
AND TO MEAN, THAT I BELIEVE MY PROPOSALS ARE FAIR AND OPEN, THAT I
BELIEVE THEY'VE RECEIVED A GOOD WELCOME IN HONG KONG, AND I CONTINUE
TO SAY THAT IF THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE PROPOSALS WHICH THEY REGARD AS
BEING MORE FAIR AND MORE OPEN AND MORE ACCEPTABLE, THEN I HOPE THAT
THEY WILL PUT THEM FORWARD.
I HONESTLY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE RIGHT WAY FOR ME TO RESPOND
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