THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 1984
10
EIGHTY-SEVEN PER CENT DID NOT VOTE
****
+EIGHTY-SEVEN PER CENT OF THOSE WHO COULD HAVE VOTED IN THE 1982 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTION DID NOT DO SO, SAID MR DENIS BRAY, SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS WHEN ADDRESSING THE HONG KONG SUBSIDISED SECONDARY SCHOOLS COUNCIL AT THE COUNCIL'S ANNUAL GATHERING TODAY (THURSDAY).
+ IF 87 PER CENT CONTINUE TO STAY AWAY IN FUTURE ELECTIONS THEN ANY CLAIM TO REPRESENTATIVE STATUS BY THOSE ELECTED BY 13 PER CENT WILL LOOK PRETTY UNCONVINCING. IS THIS THE SORT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WANT?+ HE ASKED.
MR BRAY SAID THAT IN ALL REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEMS ELECTIONS WERE SEPARATED BY INTERVALS OF SEVERAL YEARS BUT IF ORDINARY PEOPLE COULD ONLY INFLUENCE THE IR GOVERNMENT ON THESE OCCASIONS, HE WOULD RATE THAT GOVERNMENT'S REPRESENTATIVENESS AS PRETTY LOW. +REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES THAT THE PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT IS CONTINUOUSLY EXPOSED TO PRESSURE FROM ORDINARY PEOPLE. YOUR PRESENT GOVERNMENT IS NOT ELECTED AT ALL, BUT IT IS NEVERTHELESS SUBJECTED TO AND RESPONSIVE TO PRESSURE FROM ORDINARY PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, HE SAID.
HE SAID HOWEVER THAT BEFORE INFLUENCING EVEN A RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT, IT WAS NECESSARY TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE FORCES IT CONTROLLED AND THE FORCES THAT CONTROLLED IT.
IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, THERE WERE VERY SEVERE LIMITS TO THE GOVERNMENT'S POWERS OF INTERFERENCE IN THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUALS ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS HAD A WIDE IMPACT, FOR EXAMPLE IN THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME, FOR NEARLY HALF THE POPULATION AND IN SUBSIDISING PRACTICALLY ALL THE COST OF EDUCATION.
THERE WERE ALSO ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS ON WHAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD DO WITH THE TAXATION IT SECURED IN IMPROVING SOCIAL SERVICES. AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LIMITS WOULD DRIVE PEOPLE UP AGAINST THE UNPLEASANT AND DIFFICULT JUDGEMENTS INVOLVED
IN FIXING PRIORITIES - IN DECIDING WHAT THEY REGARD AS IMPORTANT AND, WITH GREATER DIFFICULTY, WHAT THEY REGARD AS LESS IMPORTANT,+ MR BRAY SAID.
HE SAID THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO APPLY INFLUENCE ON A GOVERNMENT, REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD OF SELECTION OF THE PEOPLE SERVING ON THE GOVERNMENT BODIES. EVEN NOW THERE WERE OVER 20 CHANNELS OPEN TO INDIVIDUALS AND TO GROUPS, HE SAID.
+MUCH HARD WORK GOES INTO FORMING POLICY AND MUCH HARD WORK
• IS NEEDED TO CHANGE IT. CASUAL OR SHRILL PROTEST WILL NOT DO. WHAT IS REQUIRED IS A WILL AND A DETERMINATION TO PRESS HOME VIEWS EITHER THROUGH CHANNELS THAT EXIST NOW OR NEW ONES THAT CAN BE FORGED. THIS IS THE STUFF OF POLITICS. THIS REQUIRES DEVOTION AND TENACITY AND LEADERSHIP,+ HE SAID.
/ HONG KONG