THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992
THE
THE
PERHAPS I CAN MAKE ANOTHER COUPLE OF POINTS. THE FIRST IS THAT I DON'T THINK THAT ANY AIRPORT CAN EVER HAVE BEEN DEBATED AND DISCUSSED AS MUCH AS THIS ONE. IF WE HAD A DOLLAR FOR EVERY WORD THAT HAS BEEN SPILT ON THE FINANCING OF THE AIRPORT WE WOULD HAVE PAID FOR IT TEN TIMES OVER. I THINK THAT PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE PROBABLY GETTING RATHER FED UP WITH CONTINUING ARGUMENT AND DEBATE SINCE THEY KNOW, AS WELL AS I KNOW, WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES IN PEKING KNOW, THAT ONE DAY WE WILL HAVE A AIRPORT. AND I THINK WHATEVER PEOPLE OUTSIDE MAY THINK, WE ALL KNOW IN HONG KONG THAT WE'LL BUILD WHEN WE DO, A NEW AIRPORT FASTER, MORE COST EFFECTIVELY AND BETTER, THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD WOULD. THAT'S THE REALITY WHICH MAKES SOME OF THE DEBATE ABOUT FINANCING RATHER MORE FRUSTRATING THAN IT OTHERWISE WOULD BE.
AS
NEW
WE CAN'T DO MORE THAN OUR BEST ΤΟ SECURE THE COMPLETION OF THE AIRPORT IN TIME. THE FIRST PROPOSALS WE HAD FOR FUNDING MAXIMISED THE FACT THAT HONG KONG BECAUSE OF ITS RECORD, IS A SPECTACULARLY SUCCESSFUL BORROWER. WE THEN PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS WHICH MAXIMISE THE PROCEEDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET FROM DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THE MTRC. NOW I'M SURPRISED IF NEITHER OF THOSE I WILL CONTINUE TO DO MY BEST
ARRANGEMENTS CAN PROVE SATISFACTORY.
TO SECURE THE BEST POSSIBLE AIRPORT IN THE QUICKEST POSSIBLE TIME. I WILL KEEP THIS COUNCIL FULLY INFORMED ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENTS WE MAKE, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND ABOUT THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS. BECAUSE IF WE DO HAVE TO DECIDE TO PROCEED IN ANOTHER WAY
AND WE CERTAINLY WON'T ABANDON THE PROJECT, WE WILL CERTAINLY TO CONTINUE WITH IT - BUT IF WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN ANOTHER THE ROLE OF THIS COUNCIL WILL BE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL BECAUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL HAVE TO DECIDE ON THE FUNDING.
A
AN
NOW, BUT YOU YOURSELF
SEEK
WAY, THE
ARE
MR CHIM PUI-CHUNG (IN CANTONESE): THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. THIS IS QUESTION I'M SURE MANY MEMBERS ARE WAITING FOR BECAUSE THIS IS NOT EASY QUESTION TO ANSWER. MR PRESIDENT, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS YESTERDAY, I READ IT THROUGH CAREFULLY THREE TIMES, ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES, YOU MENTIONED THAT FOR DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS YOU FULLY SUPPORT THAT BUT FOR THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM YOU SEEMED NOT TO LIKE THEM THAT MUCH. APPOINTED UNDER THE LETTERS PATENT, SO IS IT NOT IN CONFLICT WITH SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY? AND THEN IN PARAGRAPH 104 YOU CRITICISE PEOPLE WHO BET ON THE DEMOCRATIC PACE BUT YESTERDAY YOU KNOW THAT CHINESE SIDE WOULD HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON YOUR PROPOSALS, SO STILL YOU NOW USING US AS HEROIC PAWNS? SO I HOPE YOU WOULD GIVE A DETAILED EXPLANATION TO HONG KONG PEOPLE BECAUSE WE ARE NOW USED AS PAWNS, SO IT IS A MATTER OF WHO IS BETTING ON WHAT.
GOVERNOR:
THE
SOME
THE ARE
THERE WILL OF COURSE COME A TIME, FAIRLY SOON, WHERE HONG KONG WILL HAVE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE WHO HAS EMERGED FROM A PROCESS OF SELECTION IF NOT ELECTION, AND THEREFORE I SUPPOSE I SHOULD REGARD MYSELF AS A DARWINIAN OBJECT, AS PART OF A PROCESS OF EVOLUTION, AND I HOPE THAT THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS ISN'T TOO SHELL-BACKED. JUST AS I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD IN RELATION TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD IN RELATION TO, EXAMPLE, THE DISTRICT BOARDS ABOUT WHICH
SPOKE YESTERDAY, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS.
I
SO
FOR
OR
/IT'S THE
T
Page 10Page 11