WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1978
30
GOVERNOR PAYS TRIBUTE TO LEGCO MEMBERS
******
THE GOVERNOR SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY PAID TRIBUTE TO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR THE GREAT VOLUME OF WORK THEY HAVE DONE WITHOUT WHICH THE +GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG COULD NOT BE CARRIED ON AND WITH WHICH HONG KONG HAS SO SIGNIFICANTLY PROSPERED.+
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR MURRAY SAID HONG KONG OWED A GREAT DEAL TO THEIR DEVOTION TO THIS WORK AND HE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS BECOMING MORE GENERALLY APPRECIATED BY THE PEOPLE."
HE EXTENDED HIS GOOD WISHES TO THE NEW CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON. JACK CATER AND THE NEW SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG.
HE ALSO WELCOMED THE FOUR NEW UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO THE COUNCIL WHO, HE SAID, BRING WITH THEM A WIDE AND DIVERSE KNOWLEDGE OF MANY LEVELS AND ASPECTS OF HONG KONG'S SOCIETY AND ECONOMY.
THE NEW MEMBERS ARE: THE HON. DAVID NEWBIGGING, THE HON. ANDREW SO, THE HON. ALLEN LEE AND DR. THE HON. HO KAM-FAI.
SIR MURRAY SAID THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS AN ORGAN OF GOVERNMENT THAT IS CONSTITUTIONALLY UNIQUE IN ITS MANY ROLES OF FORUM FOR DEBATE, THE ENACTMENT OF LAWS AND OMBUDSMAN, ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC WHETHER TO HEAR COMPLAINTS OR GIVE ADVICE.
+ THE ACCESS THAT ALL UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS HAVE BOTH TO OFFICIALS AND TO CONFIDENTIAL OFFICIAL PAPERS, IN ITSELF DISTINGUISHES THEM FROM MEMBERS OF ANY OTHER LEGISLATURE I HAVE KNOWN.
+ I AM GLAD THAT IN RECENT YEARS THESE ROLES HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENED NOT ONLY BY A LARGE EXPANSION OF MEMBERSHIP, BUT ALSO BY THE SUPPORT OF A STRONG UMELCO OFFICE, PROVISION OF BETTER ACCOMMODATION, AND ALLOWANCES FOR MEMBERS, AND THAT A CLOSER SCRUTINY OF LEGISLATION AND A BETTER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC HAS RESULTED, + HE SAID.
1
©
1
1
/31