WE. NESDAY, MAY 27, 1987
VIEWS ON GREEN PAPER LISTENED TO WITH GREAT CARE
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON DAVID FORD, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) APPEALED TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO STUDY THE GREEN PAPER UN THE 1987 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, CONSIDER CAREFULLY THE OPTIONS IT PRESENTED AND SEND IN THE IR VIEWS TO THE SURVEY OFFICE.
+1 URGE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO, AND ASSURE THEM THAT THEIR VIEWS WILL BE LISTENED TO WITH GREAT CARE,+ MR FORD SAID.
TABLING THE DOCUMENT AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GREEN PAPER WAS TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE HONG KONG SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE FURTHER DEVELOPED, AND IF SO, IN WHAT MANNER AND OVER WHAT TIME SCALE.
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+ THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER TODAY SIGNALS THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION WHICH WILL LAST UNTIL 30 SEPTEMBER. DURING THIS PERIOD THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG EVERY INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND ORGANISATION WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STATE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT THEY THINK THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO, OR SHOULD NOT DO, IN 1988 BY WAY OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL GREEN PAPER IN AT LEAST TWO RESPECTS.
+FIRST, SOME OF THE ISSUES ADDRESSED IN IT HAVE ALREADY BEEN THE SUBJECT OF KEEN DEBATE AMONG SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO, INDEED, MUCH OF THE CONTENT OF THE GREEN PAPER REFLECTS THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THAT DEBATE.
+SECONDLY, THE GREEN PAPER DOES NOT STATE THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY INTENTIONS OR CONTAIN SPECIFIC PROPOSALS FOR ACTION.
INSTEAD, IT SETS OUT POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN 1988 AND PRESENTS THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST EACH OF THOSE OPTIONS, AS WELL AS THE FACTORS THAT SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND WHEN CONSIDERING THE CHOICE OF OPTIONS, HE SAID.
MR FORD SAID SOME OF THE VIEWS AND ARGUMENTS AIRED IN THE PUBLIC DEBATE MIGHT WELL BE A IMED AT TRYING TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION, AND HE URGED EVERY PERSON IN HONG KONG TO FORM HIS OWN VIEWS.
+EVERY PERSON IN HONG KONG IS FREE TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH ANY OTHER PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW. THE GOVERNMENT IS ANXIOUS TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THEY ARE QUITE CAPABLE OF FORMING THE IR OWN JUDGMENT,+ HE SAID.
+AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, WE SHALL KEEP AN OPEN MIND UNTIL WE HAVE LISTENED TO THOSE VIEWS, HE STRESSED.
AR FORD