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(7) In a nutshell, I opine that we should not only make passive criticism, but should also be more active in making constructive suggestions. However, as Government activities cover so wide an area, it is impossible for me to dwell on every problem at this annual debate. So, I shall confine myself to those areas which call for immediate attention.
(a) The seats of the Legislative Council should be increased. All or at least more than half of the Urban Councillors should be made ex-officio members of the Legislative Council so that they may participate in enacting legislation. Instead of the present hundred or so advisory boards, there should be sub-committees to decide on all the important policies concerning education, transport, labour and social welfare etc. The Legislative Council should be a place where the opinions of local residents can be expressed and not just a place where the ideas of H.E. the Governor or high-ranking Government officials are to be heard.
(b) The franchise for Urban Council Election should be extended and scope of work of the Council enlarged so that residents in every district can air their views on public affairs in the Council. Matters relating to fire services, traffic, housing, primary and secondary education, public health, medical services and social welfare etc. should be put under the Council's jurisdiction.
(c) As a ruling authority, it must allow constructive criticism to be made. If all that are heard and read on the press and T.V. are undeserved praises, it is unlikely that improvement will be made in the conducting of official business. And if the information obtained from indirect source is taken as public opinion, the so-called public opinion is merely a replica of official views. So, before the universal suffrage system is adopted by the Legislative Council, people should be given ample opportunity to express constructive opinions and criticism. This is the nature akin to a democratic society.
(8) In my opinion, the Government should give serious consideration to the three points mentioned in the preceding paragraph and put them into practice. However special the community of Hong Kong is, it will not be proper if its people are still governed by appointed civil servants as the natives in Africa were in the eighteenth century.
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With these remarks, I would like to support the proposed statement of aims put forward by the Chairman.
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, today I am going to confine myself to the question of rates which is the Council's main source of income. The official announcement made last month that rates will be increased by an average of 80% has brought about a hue and cry from the press and the people. Several days after the announcement, I, in my capacity as the Honorary Secretary-General of the H.K. Civic Association, immediately called, in the name of the said Association, upon people of all circles to voice their objection to this "squeezing from the people" policy. I proposed at and obtained the approval of the meeting to launch a "get signatures of all people in opposition" campaign.
At the meeting held on 5th of this month when the campaign was launched, I proposed that if such outrageous increase was inevitable, then the Hong Kong Government should reduce its share from the existing 12% to the original 9%. Even so, the burden to the people would still be very heavy and the vicious effects of inflation would surely come into the picture. Therefore, the Hong Kong Government should further lower its share by 1% (i.e. from 9% down to 8%) while the Urban Council should, in line with the Government, reduce its share from 6% to 5% since the Council will have a huge surplus in the next financial year. Unexpectedly, my proposal sparked off a heated debate on this subject and caustic remarks from some of my colleagues. The fact that they distorted my motive has made me even more determined to stand firm and to abide by the promises I made recently. I firmly believe that the public will make a correct judgment. I now formally propose to the Council that starting from next year to the date when another revision is due, our share of rates should be reduced from 6% to 5% i.e., down by 1%, on condition that the Hong Kong Government makes a corresponding decrease from the present 12% to 8%.
I consider that a "healthy" budget should be one with a reasonable surplus. The word "reasonable" must be emphasized here for, in my opinion, any case of extremity would be "unhealthy". But how do we know then whether it is reasonable or not? It is impossible to go by figures. It is a matter of degree which any normal person can judge with his wisdom and logic. In the current financial year, we have a budget with an expenditure of some $400 million, giving a surplus of over $100 million. In other words, our surplus is about 25% of our expenditure. Any person of average intelligence will come to realize that the surplus is far from being "reasonable".
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