Page 31 of 139
42
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Such an order was worked out for this occasion and by chance the order gave the Reform Club the last speech and I was allocated by my other Reform Club members to make that speech. It was therefore with considerable surprise that I found that this order of speaking was objected to by some Members. And it has been suggested to me that some Members do not wish me to give the impression that I am winding up the Debate. I fail to see why such an impression should be given when you, as Chairman, will be making the last word. But I feel perhaps honoured by the suggestion that it is not wished that I should make the last speech of the Unofficial Members. I do, however, deprecate this unfortunate bickering behind the scenes. We ultimately agreed that the order of speaking should be decided by ballot and that ballot has resulted in an order which by no means mixes up the Members but on the other hand you have several Members, of more or less, I would not say the same party, but at least the same confederation, speaking one after the other. I strongly urge that in quiet consideration we should, between now and the next annual debate, ask the Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committee to go into the matter and to lay down a definite procedure to be adopted at all such subsequent meetings.
Now, it has been said at an earlier stage of this meeting by, I think it was Mr. Li Yiu Bor, that he did not desire to see party politics brought within the Council. I am reminded of the words of a famous judge when dealing with such expressions, not necessarily "party politics," but there is a whole lot of them rather similar, democracy for instance. He referred to the authority of Humpty Dumpty. "When I use a word it means exactly what I choose it to mean." Obviously when members, for instance of the Civic Association, stand up and address this Council on a day like today and elaborate upon the matters which they support and which they want to see done, they are advancing the views and platform of the organization or party that they represent so clearly it would be ridiculous to say that party politics are not being brought into the Council. Similarly, we have a platform; a platform was laid on the table at the last annual general meeting that covered the following two years, it was laid by Philip Au last year and we are supporting the advancement of that platform in this Council. If, on the other hand, all that is meant by that remark is that party politics should not be allowed to interfere with the smooth running of the Council, then of course I wholly endorse the view and
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
43
I would make one particular point in that respect. On no account should party politics be allowed to injure members of the public. Members of the public on many occasions bring their particular problems to a particular member of Council. They may go to an Appointed Member, they may go to a Civic Association Member, they may go to a Reform Club Member. More often than not they happen to go to the person whom, at that time, it is most convenient to see and I sincerely appeal to all Members that when that person's problem comes before this Council we should not be influenced by any question as to the individual Member that it is so easy that representative of the public has gone to. to say to oneself, "Oh, this comes from such and such an organization, if we grant the application that organization will gain face, maybe they will win a few votes at an election." One must be very careful to avoid that. And for my part I pledge that the Reform Club Members will never allow themselves in any way to be prejudiced by the fact that an individual's application has been originally brought to the Council by a representative of an opposing political body.
MR. KAN:-Sir, on a point of order may I intervene? Mr. Bernacchi implying that any Member has adopted the attitude that he has mentioned?
MR. BERNACCHI:-I do not mean to imply that any Member has adopted that attitude but I am saying, Sir, that it is very easy to lend oneself to unconscious prejudices.
MR. KAN:-If not, there is no point in that speech, Sir.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I feel there is a great deal of point, Mr. Kan. And I appeal to all Members to be very careful not to be influenced in that way:
Now, Sir, I listened with interest to Col. Clague's remarks about resettlement dates. I take it even further. I would suggest that we need a definite time schedule for the whole of the resettlement scheme so that we can work out how and in what manner it can be linked and ultimately amalgamated with the overall housing problem, and I think that was indeed the essence of Mr. Watson's views. I also support the suggestion of Mr. Watson that reclamations may well prove cheaper than levelling
Page 31 of 139