WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1984
11
EARLIER, MISS DUNN SAID LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY SHE WELCOMED GOVERNMENT'S INITIATIVE IN SETTING UP THE INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OFFICE, NOT ONLY AS EVIDENCE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO ITS UNDERTAKING THAT ANY AGREEMENT MUST BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT PROVIDED ONE FOCAL POINT TO WHICH ALL OPINIONS COULD BE CHANNELLED.
HOWEVER, SOME VALID QUESTIONS HAD BEEN RAISED ABOUT
THE PURPOSE AND WORK OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND MISS DUNN HOPED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY HOW IT WOULD OPERATE.
MANY PEOPLE HAD ASKED WHAT WAS THE POINT OF TESTING ACCEPTABILITY IN VIEW OF THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S STATEMENT THAT THE AGREEMENT, ONCE INITIALLED, COULD NOT BE ALTERED AND WAS THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE SIMPLY A MEANS OF ENABLING THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SAY THAT IT HAD KEPT ITS PLEDGE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG? SOME CYNICS HAD GONE EVEN FURTHER TO SUGGEST THAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE WOULD SEEK TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION AND INTERPRET THAT OPINION IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ENABLE PARLIAMENT TO APPROVE IT, THUS ENABLING THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO PROCEED TO RATIFICATION.
+1 DO NOT SHARE THESE DOUBTS AND AM CONFIDENT THAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE WILL BE QUITE INDEPENDENT EVEN OF THE OP IN ION-COLLECTING MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT, BUT IN THE LIGHT OF THE MISGIVINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXPLAIN PRECISELY THE ARRANGEMENT ENVISAGED FOR EXPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION TO BE SOUGHT BY THE ADMINISTRATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, AND THEN FED INTO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AGAIN, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FOR COLLATION AND ANALYSIS, MISS DUNN SAID.
+ALTHOUGH I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE WILL FAITHFULLY REPORT ITS FINDINGS NO MATTER HOW EMBARRASSING OR CONTROVERSIAL THEY MAY TURN OUT TO BE A MONITORING TEAM IS TO EXERCISE SURVEILLANCE OVER THE WAY IN WHICH THE
FLOWING INTO THAT WILL BE REASSURING BOTH TO THE HONG KONG PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENT, SHE SAID.
MATED THE DEERE TO ANN WHICH THE
SEVEN OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF MISS DUNN'S
MOTION.
THE HON PETER C. WONG SAID HONG KONG HAD A WELL-ESTABLISHED AND EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF DISCOVER ING AND ASCERTAINING THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE WHICH WAS EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN AN ELECTORAL SYSTEM WHICH COULD ONLY REALLY TEST PUBLIC OPINION EVERY FEW YEARS.
IN FINDING OUT WHAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THOUGHT OF THE AGREEMENT FULL USE SHOULD BE MADE OF THE CONSULTATIVE SYSTEM AND THE FEEDBACK FROM THIS, PLUS ALL THE SUBMISSIONS MADE DIRECTLY TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE.
/IT WOULD