WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984
9
BILLS OPPOSED ON ACCOUNT OF CONTENTS AND FORM
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REV THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN SAID THAT HIS OPPOSITION TO THE TWO BILLS WAS PROMPTED BY THE CONTENTS, AND BY THE FACT THAT THEY WERE PRESENTED IN PACKAGE FORM.
*THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY RELATED ISSUES OTHER THAN THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED WITH TAXIS,+ HE SAID.
+THE FACT THAT THEY WERE TIED INTO A PACKAGE, IF I MAY MIX MY METAPHORS, TURNED THEM INTO A CAN OF WORMS, HE SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PROBLEMS OF TOO MANY TAXIS ON OVERCROWDED ROADS HAD BEEN SOLVED BY THE GAZETTED RESOLUTION TEMPORARILY LIMITING THE NUMBER OF URBAN LICENCES.
+FROM THE OPERATORS PREMIUM POINT OF VIEW IT APPEARS THE SUPPLY OF TAXIS IS NOW ENOUGH TO MEET DEMAND. THAT TOO HAS BEEN SOLVED BY THE LIMITATION OF NUMBERS, HE ADDED.
THE PROBLEM THAT THE TAXI TRADE WAS BECOMING UNPROFITABLE HAD BEEN SOLVED, OR PARTLY SOLVED, BY THE OTHER GAZETTED RESOLUTION TABLED LAST WEDNESDAY BY WHICH TAXI FARES WOULD BE INCREASED.
*AS THE PROBLEMS OF NUMBERS HAVE BEEN SOLVED BY RESOLUTION, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO NEED TO INTRODUCE FISCAL MEASURES TO RESTRICT NUMBERS,+ HE ARGUED.
MAINTAINING THAT A TAXI WAS A PUBLIC VEHICLE, HE SAID +IF IT IS TREATED AS SUCH, WHEN TAXI PROBLEMS ARE RE-EXAMINED IT WILL AVOID A LOT OF CONFUSION AND DISAGREEMENT.+
+IF THE IDEA THAT A TAXI IS A PRIVATE CAR REARS ITS HEAD AGAIN, THAT IDEA SHOULD BE FIRMLY SCOTCHED, HE STRESSED.
HE NOTED THAT THE REPORTING IN THE MEDIA OF THE PROGRESS OF THE BILL HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT DISTORTED.
+APART FROM THE TIMING, ALL THAT IS HAPPENING TODAY IS THE ORDINARY CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS.
+IT IS ALSO, I HOPE, A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE LIMITED DEMOCRACY OF AN APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CAN WORK.
+THE ROLE OF LEGCO IS TO DEBATE BILLS SENT TO US BY EXCO. IF WE THINK EXCO HAS BEEN BADLY INFORMED OR IS MAKING AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT, IT IS OUR DUTY TO PUT A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW IN THE HOPE THAT IT WILL CONVINCE THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THERE IS A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION TO BE PURSUED, HE SAID.
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