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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1984
MR LOBO SAID WE WOULD BE A STRANGE COMMUNITY IF WE WERE NOT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT OUR FUTURE.
WE WERE TO PARTICIPATE IN AN UNPRECEDENTED EXPERIMENT WHICH WOULD SEE THE ABSORPTION OF OUR FREE ENTERPRISE SOCIETY INTO A COMMUNIST STATE.
+NO AMOUNT OF PADDING CAN DISGUISE THIS HARD FACT, NOR THE UNCERTAINTY THAT ATTACHES TO THIS STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN, + HE SAID.
HE SAID HE WAS GRATEFUL TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND HIS OFFICIAL COLLEAGUES WHO HAD REVIEWED POINT BY POINT THE MAJOR ISSUES THE UNOFFICIALS HAD RAISED.
BUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS WE WERE BEING AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY OF APPROACHING THIS GREAT EXPERIMENT WITH A PLAN TO PRESERVE OUR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OR WE COULD APPROACH THE GREAT EXPERIMENT WITHOUT SUCH A PLAN.
MR LOBO RECALLED THE WORDS OF THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE. IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER ON SEPTEMBER 26. THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT TOOK ACCOUNT OF HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND THE
BUT REALITIES OF HISTORY. IT FORESAW THAT CHANGE MUST COME,
IN PROVIDING FOR THAT CHANGE IT PROVIDED ALSO FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN OUR SOCIETY. IN AS FAR AS IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR GOVERNMENTS TODAY TO PROVIDE FOR THE FUTURE, IT REMOVED THE UNCERTAINTY WHICH EXISTED BECAUSE OF THE 1997 DEADLINE. IT CONSTITUTED A BLUEPRINT FOR A NEW STAGE IN HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT.
+ALL BUT TWO UNOFFICIALS HAVE INDICATED THE IR SUPPORT FOR THE MOTION BEFORE THIS COUNCIL AND ONLY TIME AND HISTORY WILL TELL WHETHER OUR HIGH HOPES FOR THE AGREEMENT ARE JUSTIFIED AND WHETHER WE HAVE DISCHARGED OUR DUTIES ADEQUATELY,+ MR LOBO CONCLUDED.
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