12
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985
+THERE IS STILL SOME WAY TO GO.+
MISS DUNN SAID THE BILL HAD QUITE RIGHTLY ATTRACTED A GREAT DEAL OF PUBLIC INTEREST AND GENERATED A GREAT DEAL OF COMMENT.
SO MUCH HAD BEEN SAID BY SO MANY THERE WAS NOW A THOROUGH STATE OF CONFUSION IN MANY PEOPLE'S MINDS.
WHAT, FOR INSTANCE, WAS THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S DEBATE? SHE
ASKED,
TO MAKE A NEW LAW MANY WOULD SAY.
+ IT IS NOTHING OF THE SORT, MISS DUNN STATED.
+OUR AIM TODAY IS MUCH SIMPLER.
+ IT IS TO EXPRESS OUR APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE THAT A LAW SHOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE IN THIS LEGISLATURE: THAT MEMBERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK FREELY WITHOUT FEAR THAT THEY WILL BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL ACTION THAT WHEN WE NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF WITNESSES THERE ARE PROPER LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS TO GOVERN THE WAY IN WHICH THESE WITNESSES CAN BE OF MOST HELP FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD AND THAT THERE ARE SANCTIONS AGAINST MISCHIEVOUS ATTEMPTS TO FRUSTRATE THE WORK OF THE BODY REQUIRED TO MAKE LAWS FOR THE GOOD GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG.+
THE PURPOSE OF THE SECOND READING DEBATE WAS TO RESOLVE THESE MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE AND RECORD WHERE, IN SUBSTANCE, CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DRAFT OF THE BILL.
'SUMMONS ING WITNESS NOT INFRINGEMENT OF PRIVACY'
******
THE PURPOSE OF SUMMONS ING WITNESSES TO GIVE EVIDENCE BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OR ITS COMMITTEES IS TO INVESTIGATE MATTERS OF PUBLIC POLICY, NOT PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF CITIZENS,
THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI DURING THE DEBATE ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL 1985.
HE SAID THE INTENTIONS OF THE BILL WERE TO LAY DOWN SOME RULES SO AS TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AS A BODY TO PROPERLY AND EFFICIENTLY PERFORM THEIR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
HOWEVER, QUITE A FEW CRITICS SEEMED TO HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE BILL CONFERRED MORE POWERS AND PRIVILEGES THAN THOSE AT PRESENT ENJOYED BY THE COUNCIL.
/IN PARTICULAR,