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SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1987
HEALY: AND HOW LONG AS GOVERNOR?
SIR DAVID : ... DON'T... I CAN'T AT THIS STAGE PREDICT HOW
LONG I WILL SERVE AS GOVERNOR. AS SAY, I'M CONCENTRATING AT THE MOMENT ON STARTING RATHER THAN ENDING.
HELLA PICK (THE GUARDIAN) CAN I ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS? THERE'S
TWO THINGS FIRST, WHO WILL SUCCEED YOU AS THE BRITISH MEMBER OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND, SECONDLY, PRESUMABLY ONE OF YOUR FIRST TASKS WILL BE TO FINALISE THE GREEN PAPER ON ELECTORAL REFORM - CAN YOU GIVE US ANY CLUES AT ALL HOW YOUR MIND IS WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION?
SIR DAVID : THANK YOU. ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, OBVIOUSLY I
NOW GIVE UP MY PREVIOUS POST AS SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BRITISH SIDE. A DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN ON WHO SHOULD SUCCEED ME DOING THAT. AS SOON AS A DECISION IS TAKEN THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. PERHAPS I COULD ADD ON THAT, THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT MY OWN LEAVING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WILL MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO ITS WORK, WHICH IS NOW ON A VERY GOOD FOUNDATION.
ON THE SECOND POINT, THE GREEN PAPER EXERCISE, THERE IS, OF COURSE. A REVIEW PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR AND THAT WILL BE GOING AHEAD. SOME PRELIMINARY WORK IS ALREADY BEING DONE IN HONG KONG ON IT. I WILL BE IN TOUCH, BOTH WITH OFFICIALS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ABOUT THEIR THINKING AND WITH PEOPLE HERE IN LONDON. I DON'T THINK I WOULD, AT THIS STAGE, MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ABOUT MY OWN VIEWS ABOUT HOW ACTUALLY A GREEN PAPER IS WRITTEN.
ROSEMARY LANGFORD (ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS) =
WHAT WILL BE YOUR
PERSONAL APPROACH TO ENJOYING THE GOVERNORSHIP?
SIR DAVID : TO ENJOYING.....?
LANGFORD: YES, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THERE A LONG TIME, SO...
SIR DAVID: THAT
THAT'S A VERY NICE QUESTION. IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I HOPE IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO ENJOY THE POST OF GOVERNOR. I CERTAINLY INTEND TO TRY TO ENJOY IT. BUT IT'S NICE THAT YOU SHOULD MENTION IT, BECAUSE SO FAR EVERYBODY'S PUT THE EMPHASIS ON... ON THE BURDENS OF THE POST. I THINK I WILL TRY TO ENJOY IT BOTH BY GETTING ENJOYMENT FOR ... FROM THE TREMENDOUS SENSE OF ENJOYMENT MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE. IF YOU WALK ALONG A STREET IN LONDON SOMETIMES PEOPLE LOOK RATHER GLOOMY HERE, OFTEN, IF YOU WALK ALONG A STREET IN HONG KONG, THEY LOOK MUCH MORE CHEERFUL, AND I HOPE I WILL... SOME OF THAT CHEERFULNESS WILL SHAKE OFF ON TO ME.
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