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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985
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OBJECTIVES CAN BE MET, SAYS SIR PHILIP
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TODAY EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THE PLANS AND INTENTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WOULD SET HONG KONG FIRMLY ON THE ROAD TOWARDS MEETING THE STATED OBJECTIVES.
THESE OBJECTIVES ARE ROOTING THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT FIRMLY IN HONG KONG AND DEVELOPING AN ACCEPTABLE AND RESPECTED CHANNEL FOR THE AUTHORITATIVE EXPRESSION OF THE VIEW OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
SIR PHILIP WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IN THE MOTION +THAT THIS COUNCIL WELCOMES THE PLANS AND INTENTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.+
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WOULD THEREFORE BECOME MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE HERE.
+THUS, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WILL BE MADE TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF THE WHITE PAPER WHICH IS TO PREPARE THE COMMUNITY FOR THE NEW POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FUTURE.
+ACCORDINGLY, SIR, I COMMEND THE WHITE PAPER TO HONOURABLE MEMBERS FOR THE IR APPROVAL, HE SAID.
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF SIR PHILIP'S SPEECH:
+SIR, I RISE TO MOVE THE MOTION STANDING IN MY NAME ON THE ORDER PAPER: +THAT THIS COUNCIL WELCOMES THE PLANS AND INTENTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.+
+WHEN THE WHITE PAPER WAS LAID ON 21 NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, YOU YOURSELF, SIR, OUTLINED THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO REMIND MEMBERS, AT THE OUTSET OF THIS DEBATE, OF OUR OBJECTIVES AND THE PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER WERE WORKED UP AND THEN AMENDED WHEN FINAL IS ING THE PLANS SET OUT IN THE WHITE PAPER.
OBJECTIVES
+OUR OBJECTIVES CAN BE STATED QUITE SIMPLY. THEY ARE, FIRST, THAT THE FUTURE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE ROOTED FIRMLY IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEREBY BE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE FOR CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF SELECTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT IT IS BROADLY BASED, AND WHICH WILL MINIMISE ANY TENDENCY TO FACTIONAL POLITICS AND DIVISIVENESS. THE THIRD OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF SELECTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE GAINED.
/PRINCIPLES
!.