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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1991
QUESTION: HOWEVER, SIR DAVID, IT IS FELT BY A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THIS CHANGE OF GOVERNORSHIP, ESPECIALLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, 13 MUCH MORE TO THE CONVENIENCE OF UK POLITICIANS THAN FOR THE BENEFIT OF HONG KONG. DO YOU THINK THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD BE JUSTIFIED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IN THINKING 90?
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SIR DAVID: TO ME, THE KEY THING IS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE GOVERNOR BEFORE 1997 WHEN SHOULD IT BE DONE, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT IS ARGUABLE WHAT IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO IT? BUT THERE IS A GOOD CASE, AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, FOR CHANGING EARLY ENOUGH FOR A NEW GOVERNOR TO GET WELL ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG AND THAT IS SOMETHING FOR THE GOOD GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF BRITISH POLITICIANS.
QUESTION: THEN WHY DID JOHN MAJOR NOT TELL HONG KONG PEOPLE
THIS WHEN HE WAS ASKED THE QUESTION NOT SO LONG AGO?
SIR DAVID HE SAID, IF I REMEMBER RIGHTLY, AND YOU QUOTED IT EARLIER, THAT THERE WAS NO VACANCY TO THE GOVERNORSHIP WHEN HE WAS ASKED THE QUESTION AND THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY TRUE, AND I THINK THAT WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER. WHEN HE FINALLY MADE UP HIS MIND THAT
HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HE CAN ANSWER RATHER THAN ME, BUT AT SOME STAGE THE ANNOUNCEMENT HAS GOT TO BE MADE. FOR A LONG PERIOD BEFORE THAT, CLEARLY YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT SORT OF ANNOUNCEMENT, THERE HAS TO BE A POINT WHEN THERE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT. AS I WAS SAYING, THERE IS A LOT OF ADVANTAGE IN MAKING IT CLEAR WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE. WE ALL KNOW THE SITUATION AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED I AM HERE FOR MANY MONTHS TO COME AND I SHALL NOT BE SLACKING OFF IN WHAT I AM DOING SIMPLY BECAUSE I SHALL BE LEAVING IN 1992, I SHALL ВВ CONTINUING WORKING VERY HARD IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
QUESTION: CAN YOU TELL US, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR REMAINING MONTHS IN HONG KONG?
SIR DAVID: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THESE BNORMOUS PROGRAMMES THAT WE'VE GOT FOR THE LONG-TERM FUTURE GO AHEAD AS PLANNED ON SCHEDULE. BY THAT I MEAN THE EXPANSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION, THE AIRPORT OF COURSE, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR
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THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG; OTHER INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS, ALL OUR OTHER SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT TOO. TRYING TO IMPROVE IN A VERY BROAD SENSE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THAT MEANS NOT JUST SIMPLE THINGS LIKE 'ARE THE STREETS CLEAN?'
ALTHOUGH THOSE ARE IMPORTANT - IT MEANS BUILDING FOR THE LONG-TERM FUTURE, BUILDING FOR THE EDUCATION OF PEOPLE, BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT A REALLY SUCCESSFUL HONG KONG POST-1997 IS GOING TO NEED. I WANT TO BE HERE PUSHING THOSE THINGS, MAKING SURE THEY KEEP ON SCHEDULE, MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS NO SLACKENING OFF OF EFFORT IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
QUESTION: SIR DAVID, WHICH PROBLEM DO YOU THINK YOUR SUCCESSOR, THE NEW GOVERNOR, WILL FACE IN THE COMING FUTURE APPROACHING 1997?
SIR DAVID: WHICH SINGLE PROBLEM?
/QUESTION: