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GOVERNOR: ON THE LATTER POINT, WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE TALKS I CERTAINLY COULDN'T GIVE ANY GUARANTEE THAT THE EXECUTIVE WOULDN'T SEEK TO AMEND THE LEGISLATION WHEN IT'S BEING CONSIDERED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THIS COUNCIL. FOR EXAMPLE, LET ME TAKE AN OBVIOUS POINT; I THINK THAT INDIVIDUAL COUNCILLORS WILL HAVE VIEWS ABOUT THE LEGISLATION AND THEY MAY HAVE VIEWS WHICH ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S, AND THEY MAY HAVE VIEWS WHICH ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S AND COMMAND MAJORITY SUPPORT IN THIS COUNCIL, IN WHICH CASE THE GOVERNMENT MAY WELL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THOSE VIEWS IN SUBSEQUENT PARTS OF THE BILL. IT MAY HAVE TO AMEND OTHER
OF THE BILL TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF AMENDMENTS MADE BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ITSELF. ON THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN'S FIRST QUESTION; WE DON'T HAVE AN ABSOLUTE DEADLINE. IF I'D HAD AN ABSOLUTE DEADLINE I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WAIT SINCE EARLY FEBRUARY IN
FORWARD
WE
TO GAZETTE THE LEGISLATION BUT AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE DO WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WILL REQUIRE AND THAT IT WOULD WANT IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEFORE IT. I THINK IT WOULD BE PRETTY INSULTING TO THE COUNCIL IF I WAS TU SAY WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHEN WE BRING THE BILLS INTO THE COUNCIL BECAUSE THE COUNCIL WILL SPEND AS LITTLE TIME AS REQUIRE ON DEBATING THESE MATTERS. I DON'T WANT TO SET A DEADLINE, DON'T WANT TO RING A DATE IN THE CALENDAR, BUT TIME IS NOT INFINITE AND IF THERE ARE NOT GOING TO BE TALKS, THEN I'M SURE THAT MANY HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL TAKE THE VIEW THAT WE SHOULD GET
ON
LEGISLATING.
I
WITH
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TIME : 17:01:56
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