WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1992
SUCH
WHILST OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS EXECUTIVE-LED, THE EXECUTIVE RELIES ON THE SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE ENACTMENT OF LAWS AND THE PROVISION OF FUNDS REQUIRED TO GIVE EFFECT TO ITS POLICIES. SUPPORT CANNOT BE ASSUMED, AND IS NOT ASSUMED AS A MATTER OF COURSE. THE LEGISLATURE CAN, AND DOES. USE ITS POWERS TO KEEP THE EXECUTIVE UNDER SCRUTINY AND KEEP IT IN CHECK BY QUESTIONS AND DEBATES. IT IS IN THIS SENSE, THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES, THAT THE EXECUTIVE IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE LEGISLATURE.
CLEARLY, AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE RELATES TO THE ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. UNDER OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IS, THE HIGHEST POLICY-MAKING BODY IN HONG KONG. ITS LINKS WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE PROVIDED BY A NUMBER OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO SERVING ON THE LEGISLATURE. THIS ARRANGEMENT SHOULD ENABLE THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO HAVE A BETTER AND MORE TIMELY UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOOD OF THE LEGISLATURE ON ANY ISSUE OF THE AND FACILITATE EXPLANATION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DECISIONS TO
LEGISLATURE.
DAY,
THE
IN THE YEARS AHEAD, THERE WILL BE FURTHER CHANGES TO THE COMPOSITION OF THIS COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BECOME FULLY ELECTED IN 1995. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE BEFORE COMING TO ANY CONCLUSIONS AS TO HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP SHOULD BE FURTHER REFINED IN THE FUTURE ON AN EVOLUTIONARY BASIS. THERE IS THEREFORE NO CASE FOR A REVIEW ON A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME.
ON THE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION, CLEARLY WE NEED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE LEGISLATURE. IN THIS CONNECTION, POLICY SECRETARIES ARE SPENDING EVEN MORE TIME THAN BEFORE TO EXPLAIN AND BRIEF MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL ON WHAT THEIR POLICIES ARE, WHY THESE POLICIES ARE NEEDED, HOW FEASIBLE THESE POLICIES ARE, AND HOW MUCH THOSE POLICIES WILL COST TO THE TAXPAYER. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT GIVEN
THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THE INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF THE MANY ISSUES WHICH FACE US TODAY.
MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT, THE ADMINISTRATION FULLY ACCEPTS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR MEANS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS WITH A VIEW TO ENSURING THE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT GOVERNANCE OF HONG KONG. IN THIS CONNECTION, I WELCOME THE MANY VALUABLE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS IN THIS DEBATE TODAY. HOWEVER, FOR THE REASONS I HAVE EXPLAINED, THE ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS THAT THIS IS A CONTINUED PROCESS OF EXAMINATION RATHER THAN A QUESTION OF INITIATING AN IMMEDIATE REVIEW. THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF TILIS COUNCIL WILL THEREFORE ABSTAIN FROM VOTING ON MR SZETO'S MOTION.
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