THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1982
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GOVT ASKED TO KEEP PUBLIC ADVISED ABOUT TALKS
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URGING THE PUBLIC TO FOLLOW WHAT HE TERMED +A CULT OF COMMON SENSE+, THE HON W.C.L. BROWN TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH FREQUENT AND MEANINGFUL REPORTS AS TO HOW TALKS BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES IN PEKING AND LONDON ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE ARE PROGRESSING.
ONLY THEN WILL DANGEROUS SPECULATION BE AVOIDED, HE SAID.
MR BROWN SAID THAT THE INNOVATION OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE SEEN AS ONLY THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A GREATER INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY IN THOSE DECISIONS AFFECTING THEIR DAILY LIVES.
HE BELIEVED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE CONCERNED THAT THE IR VIEWS WOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND THAT THEY WOULD BE KEPT INFORMED WHILE TALKS WERE IN PROGRESS.
HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT NO INTELLIGENT PERSON SHOULD SERIOUSLY QUESTION THAT THE ACTUAL CONTENT OF THE TALKS MUST REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL, ADDING THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WAS RIGHT IN SAYING THAT NEGOTIATIONS OF THIS NATURE COULD NOT BE CONDUCTED VIA THE MEDIA.
+ IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT I PARTICULARLY WELCOMED THE STATEMENT IN YOUR ADDRESS THAT MEETINGS IN PEKING HAD BEGUN,+ HE SAID,
+THE PROMPT RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE FACT ITSELF, AND I TRUST THAT THIS WILL BE ONLY THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF STATEMENTS WE CAN EXPECT TO HEAR IN THIS CHAMBER ON THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT.+
DESCRIBING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER AS THE CORRECT AND PROPER PLACE+ FOR DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING HONG KONG'S FUTURE TO BE REVEALED AND RECORDED IN THE PUBLIC RECORD, MR BROWN SAID HE CONSIDERED IT ALSO DESIRABLE THAT RESPONSIBLE DEBATE SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN THE CHAMBER TO COUNTER IRRESPONSIBLE COMMENT, RUMOUR AND GOSSIP OUTSIDE.
+THE CURRENT PROBLEMS IN OUR STOCK AND EXCHANGE MARKETS ARE BY NO MEANS DUE ONLY TO POLITICAL FACTORS BUT MUCH OF THE UNEASINESS IN OUR MARKETS AND PROBABLY IN OUR HEARTS - COMES FROM SUCH CASUAL COMMENT EMANATING FROM PEKING, LONDON AND LOCAL SOURCES,+ HE SAID.
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+THOSE WHO LISTEN TO THESE VERBAL COMMENTS SHOULD REMEMBER THE CHINESE SAYING, ORAL STATEMENTS VANISH LIKE BREEZES, BUT WRITTEN WORDS REMAIN LIKE HILLS AND STREAMS'.
+SIR, THE WRITTEN WORDS ON THIS SUBJECT GIVE US EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT OUR FUTURE IS NOT SO PRECARIOUS AS IT MAY AT SOMETIMES SEEM, AND I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT PROVIDED WE ALL FOLLOW THE CULT OF COMMON SENSE YOUR FUTURE REPORTS TO US WILL BEAR THIS OUT. +
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EARLIER IN HIS SPEECH. MR BROWN CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A POSITIVE LEAD TO LIMIT THE SALARY AND WAGE LEVELS OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
/+LEAVING ASIDE
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