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LICENCES FOR MEETINGS AND PROCESSIONS WERE RARELY REFUSED, HE POINTED OUT, AND THE GROUNDS FOR REFUSAL SPECIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE WERE THEMSELVES LIMITED.
+IN PARTICULAR, PROVIDED THAT THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL WILL NOT BE INCONVENIENCED, THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS RESPECTED.+
MR. HOBLEY SAID THE COMMUNITY HAD ALWAYS BEEN INTOLERANT OF DISORDER. IT HAS BEEN THEREFORE BEEN A COMMUNITY WHICH HAS BEEN PREPARED TO TOLERATE SOME CONSTRAINTS ON FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION.+
IT HAD NEVER BEEN THE OBJECT OF GOVERNMENT POLICY TO IMPOSE CONSTRAINTS ON FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AS SUCH, HE SAID, NOR WAS THE ISSUE HERE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUT THE WAY IN WHICH THAT FREEDOM WAS EXERCISED.
THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM WAS TO ENSURE THAT IT COULD KEEP A PROPER BALANCE BETWEEN THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE TO MEET TOGETHER IN PUBLIC AND THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
+THUS THE OBJECT HAS BEEN TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE DO NOT GATHER AT A TIME OR IN A PLACE OR IN NUMBERS WHICH MAY CREATE PROBLEMS IN RELATION TO THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND GOOD ORDER.+
BILL TO RAISE CE IL ING OF TAX EXEMPTION RATE
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A BILL WHICH SEEKS TO RAISE FROM 7-1/2 PER CENT TO 7-3/4 PER CENT THE CEILING ON THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S AUTHORITY TO SPECIFY THE RATE OF EXEMPTION OF INTEREST PAYABLE BY THE GOVERNMENT, LICENSED BANKS AND CERTAIN SPECIFIED PUBLIC UTILITIES WAS READ THE SECOND TIME IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MOVING THE INLAND REVENUE (AMENDMENT) (NO. 5) BILL 1979, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID THE BILL WAS BROUGHT INTO FORCE ON APRIL 20 BY MEANS OF A REVENUE PROTECTION ORDER.
HE SAID THAT ON THE SAME DAY HE SIGNED A NOTICE SPECIFYING 7-3/4 PER CENT AS THE RATE OF EXEMPTION +FOR THE TIME BEING,+
THE BILL, HE SAID, DELIBERATELY DID NOT PROVIDE FOR A FRESH CEILING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO ACCOMMODATE ANY FURTHER
INCREASE OR INCREASES IN THE RATE PAYABLE ON SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ABOVE THAT WHICH CAME INTO FORCE ON APRIL 20.
+TO DO SO WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE MISINTERPRETED, AND I DO NOT WISH TO BE THOUGHT TO BE TAKING ANY VIEW ABOUT THE FUTURE COURSE OF INTEREST RATES AT THIS TIME.
+THIS BILL, THEREFORE, SEEKS NO MORE THAN AN INCREASE IN THE CEILING SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO ACCOMMODATE THE CURRENT RATE OF INTEREST ON SAVING ACCOUNTS OF 7-3/4 PER CENT.+
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
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