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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985
MR SO SAID BEFORE TAKING OFFICE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL MUST PLEDGE AN OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.
+AN OATH IS A SACRED PROMISE,+ HE SAID.
+WE HAVE TO THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND OUR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS BEFORE WE UNDERTAKE TO MAKE THE PROMISE.
+THE AIM OF THIS BILL IS TO SET OUT EXPLICITLY THESE BASIC RIGHTS.
+WHEN THE NEW SESSION BEGINS, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT IS NOW BOTH IN ITS COMPOSITION AND IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF ITS MEETINGS, THOUGH ITS ROLE WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.+
TO GIVE JUST ONE EXAMPLE, THERE WOULD BE A MUCH GREATER NUMBER OF SELECT COMMITTEES TO BE SET UP UNDER THE COUNCIL.
AT PRESENT, WE ONLY HAD THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE, PLUS THE RECENTLY-APPOINTED SELECT COMMITTEE ON COMMERCIAL CRIMÉS,
+AS THE STATUS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT, THE NEED TO SET UP SELECT COMMITTEES TO DISPOSE OF ITS DUTIES WILL INCREASE ACCORDINGLY, MR SO SAID.
HE SAID AS ALL UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WERE HITHERTO APPOINTED, THEY HAD IN THE PAST, ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, SET UP VARIOUS WORKING GROUPS TO CARRY OUT DIFFERENT TASKS.
MEMBERS TOOK PART IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS AND SPECIALTIES.
IN MOST CASES, SENIORITY AND THE ALPHABETIC ORDER OF SURNAMES WOULD DECIDE WHO WOULD BE THE CONVENER OF A WORKING GROUP.
+A MORE DESIRABLE ARRANGEMENT WILL BE FOR YOU, SIR, IN YOUR CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL, TO APPOINT SELECT COMMITTEES AND THEIR CHAIRMEN TO DEAL WITH SPECIAL AFFAIRS OF THE COUNCIL,+ MR SO SAID.
HE SAID BEING A MEMBER OF THE AD HOC GROUP ON THE BILL HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN EXAMINING ITS SPIRIT AND WORDING.
+MOREOVER, I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF THE THREE EXISTING SELECT COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL.
+1 AM WILLING TO SUPPORT THE PRINCIPLE OF THIS IMPORTANT BILL AND SELFISHLY HOPE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO VOTE ON IT AND ITS AMENDMENTS PRIOR TO THE EXPIRY OF MY TERM OF OFFICE ON OCTOBER 30, + HE SAID.
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