WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984
TRIUMPH FOR THE SYSTEM, SAYS ACTING GOVERNOR
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THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A STATEMENT MADE BY THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE THIS EVENING:
+I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD DAY FOR UNOFFICIALS, IN THEIR SPEECHES THIS AFTERNOON THEY'VE CONVEYED VERY EFFECTIVELY THE DEEP ANXIETIES OF THE TAXI TRADE AND OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE CASE FOR OUR PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS HAD NOT COME ACROSS WELL AND HAD, INDEED, EVEN BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD.
+BUT IF IT'S BEEN A GOOD DAY FOR UNOFFICIALS, I
THINK IT'S BEEN AN EVEN BETTER DAY FOR OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, PERHAPS EVEN A TRIUMPHANT ONE. IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION FROM UNOFFICIALS THE SYSTEM HAD TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY AND IT DID.
+AFTER LISTENING CAREFULLY TO MEMBERS' VIEWS THE GOVERNMENT SIDE ALLOWED THE BILLS ON THE TAX MEASURES TO BE VOTED OUT ON THE SECOND READING AND SO THE WHOLE PACKAGE WILL NOW HAVE TO BE RECONSTRUCTED. THAT IS HOW OUR SYSTEM OF CONSULTATIVE DEMOCRACY IS DESIGNED TO WORK WHEN GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS PROVE TO BE UNACCEPTABLE TO OUR LEGISLATIVE BODY.
+BUT LET US NOT FORGET THAT THE PROBLEM OF DEVISING AN UP- TO-DATE TAXI POLICY HAS NOT GONE AWAY. IT REMAINS WITH US. SO WE MUST NOW QUICKLY RETURN TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND PUT FORWARD FRESH PROPOSALS TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IN DOING SO WE SHALL TAKE FULLY INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED SO ROBUSTLY THIS AFTERNOON IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND, INDEED, ELSEWHERE DURING THE PAST FEW RATHER EVENTFUL DAYS.
+ONE CANNOT DIVORCE THE FARE INCREASE FROM THE QUESTION OF TAXI POLICY GENERALLY BUT, AS I HAVE JUST SAID, WE INTEND TO GO BACK TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE, HOPEFULLY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.+
STRENGTH OF CONSTITUTION DEMONSTRATED
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THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, VOICED HIS SUPPORT TODAY FOR THE CONCLUSION BY SEVERAL UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS THAT THE FAILURE OF A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL DEMONSTRATED THE STRENGTH, NOT THE WEAKNESS, OF THE CONSTITUTION.
+A SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES (TO PICK UP MR CHARLES YEUNG'S PHRASES) IS A NECESSARY FEATURE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF A FREE SOCIETY IF IT IS TO BE WELL GOVERNED AND CAPABLE OF ABSORBING THE MAJOR SHOCKS AND PRESSURES THAT ARE BOUND TO COME ITS WAY,+ MR THOMAS SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
+WHILE THE UNOFFICIALS ARE NOT DELEGATES OF THE PUBLIC, THEY ARE APPOINTED TO INTERPRET AND EXPOUND THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC AND TO PARTICIPATE IN REACHING A FINAL JUDGEMENT UPON THE PUBLIC INTEREST, HE ADDED.
/HE POINTED