Page 65 of 606
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
87
Lastly, it is of course everyone's wish that we could succeed in obtaining supplementary provision from the Government. However, we must take into consideration the possibility that if we sought supplementary provision from the Government to meet the additional costs arising from the implementation of the above-mentioned projects, the Central Government might have a ready question to ask, which is, 'If we are to employ more contract staff, why don't we do so for other government departments? Why should we do so for the Urban Council?' If the posts were created for government departments, the Central Government would be seen as handling the question properly and rationally. Why should they agree to allocate funds to the Council to let it get all the credit from the public? I therefore believe that if we sought additional funding from the Government on these grounds, the chance of success would likely be zero. Of course we could not speak on behalf of the Central Government, but according to our judgement, the chance would be very slim.
Nevertheless, there are five words in Ms. Grace Au's motion which are very important and they are, `resolved that the Council study'. I hope that Ms. AU later will clarify whether her intention is for the Council to 'study the way to implement the measures' or to study whether these measures should be implemented. There is a big difference between these two interpretations. The first interpretation is that if the motion is carried today, then we will do what the motion recommends, which is 'to study the details of implementation". The other interpretation is that the Council is to study whether the motion is practicable", meaning that if it is not practicable, we will not be obliged to implement it. I would therefore request that Ms. AU clarify my doubts when she gives her reply, so that when I cast my vote, I could be more sensible and make a decision more suited to the needs of the Council.
Mr. Chairman, on the whole my view is that the contents of the motion are not too desirable, but if Ms. Au is merely asking the Council to study whether the motion should be implemented, then it is worthy of our consideration.
Chairman (in Cantonese): I too have some views on the motion. I can see that there are three points in the motion as follows:
(1) to alleviate the problem of unemployment;
(2) to provide more job opportunities through the advancement of the Council's projects and creation of more posts; and
(3) to urge the Council to seek supplementary provision from the Central Government.
I don't see how these three points are related to one another, because the problem of unemployment cannot possibly be solved through an increase in the number of the Council's projects. There are a lot of other external factors. Moreover, the additional posts arising from these projects are not necessarily suitable for local residents.
Page 65 of 606
Page 65 of 606
Page 65 of
Page 65Page 66
Page 66 of 606