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MDHIAN 8575
7. IN MY VIEW, THESE NON-OFFICIALS, IF THEY ACCEPT APPOINTMENT, WOULD MAKE A VERY HIGH QUALITY AND BALANCED TEAM. I DO NOT THINK ANY OF THEM WOULD BE ANATHEMA TO THE LIBERALS, AND THEY SHOULD POSITIVELY WELCOME THE APPOINTMENT OF AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR OF THEM. SIMILARLY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WILL BE BETTER REPRESENTED THAN IT IS AT PRESENT. AND AT LEAST TWO POTENTIAL MEMBERS HAVE GOOD CONNECTIONS WITH THE CHINESE. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TWO LEADING LAWYERS, A PROFESSION SURPRISINGLY NOT REPRESENTED ON THE PRESENT EXCO (EXCEPT BY THE AG).
OFFICIAL MEMBERS.
8. AT PRESENT THERE ARE FOUR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF EXCO THE CS, CBF, FS AND AG - AND ONE APPOINTED OFFICIAL MEMBER - BARRIE WIGGHAM. I HAVE SEPARATELY PROPOSED THAT THE CBF SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM EXCO. BUT I SEE CONSIDERABLE MERIT IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED OFFICIAL MEMBERS. THIS WILL MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE GENUINELY EXECUTIVE-LED. IT WILL ALSO
ENABLE MORE SENIOR LOCAL OFFICERS TO BE INVOLVED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
9. I HAVE NOT FINALISED MY THINKING ON WHICH OFFICIALS I SHOULD APPOINT. BUT MY PRESENT INTENTION IS TO APPOINT JOHN CHAN, ANSON CHAN AND PROBABLY MICHAEL SZE, AND TO ASK BARRIE WIGGHAM TO STEP DOWN. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE I LACK CONFIDENCE IN HIM, BUT BECAUSE I, WANT TO GIVE HIS LOCAL COLLEAGUES THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEIR ABILITIES AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. THE SYMBOLIC EFFECT OF THIS WOULD BE QUITE CONSIDERABLE.
CONSEQUENTIAL LEGCO APPOINTMENTS.
10. IF
ACCEPT APPOINTMENT TO
EXCO, I WILL NEED TO APPOINT TWO NEW MEMBERS OF LECGO TO REPLACE THEM. I WILL BE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL BE SEEN AS GENUINELY OPEN-MINDED AND LIBERAL, BUT ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY POLITICAL PARTY. I WILL TELEGRAPH ON THIS SEPARATELY WHEN THE SITUATION ON EXCO MEMBERSHIP IS CLEARER.
WAY FORWARD.
11. WE ARE NOW BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF SOUNDING OUT DISCREETLY WHETHER THE INDIVIDUALS IN PARAGRAPH 6 ABOVE WOULD BE WILLING TO ACCEPT APPOINTMENT TO EXCO. I WOULD THEREFORE BY GRATEFUL AS SOON
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Redacted under FOI exemptions 27(1), 40(2) and 41.