4
37
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992
QUESTION:
AS
GOOD MORNING SIR. FIRST MAY I SAY HOW PLEASED I AM CHAIRMAN OF THE RETAIL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION THAT WE'VE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE CLASSIFICATION FOR THE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEAT. BUT IF I CAN PASS TO A MUCH BROADER QUESTION IN RELATION TO THE AIRPORT, IT SEEMS TO MY MIND, LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS FROM THE CHINA NEWS AGENCY WE'VE HEARD THIS MORNING, THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT VERY HAPPY. IS THERE NOT A DANGER THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO AN IMPASSE BY THE TIME YOU GO TO BEIJING AND FOLLOWING THAT PERHAPS, IS GOING TO MEAN THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A VERY DEFINITE DECISION ON WHETHER THE AIRPORT WILL BE PROCEED?
STOPPED OR
GOVERNOR :
CAN I SAY TWO THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, ON THE INITIAL REMARK YOU MADE, I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ALL SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY, OF OUR ECONOMIC LIFE ARE REPRESENTED IN THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY PEOPLE WHO WORK IN RETAIL CAN'T BE REPRESENTED WHEN PEOPLE WHO WORK IN OTHER SECTORS ARE; SO I AM PLEASED AT YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
QUESTION:
GOVERNOR:
THANK YOU.
—
OR
SECONDLY, ON THE AIRPORT, I SAID YESTERDAY THAT IMPLIED YESTERDAY THAT THE IMPASSE FAR FROM JUST BEING SOMETHING THAT'S ANNOYING US ALL OR WORRYING US ALL THIS AUTUMN, IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE HAVEN'T MADE VERY MUCH PROGRESS ON THE AIRPORT. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE CAN EVER HAVE BEEN AN AIRPORT WHICH HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AS MUCH AS THIS. I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG MUST BE HEARTILY FED UP OF THE NEWS HEADLINES AND THE NEWS BULLETINS BEING FULL OF REPORTS ABOUT FINANCING THE AIRPORT. THE POSITION I SET OUT IS SIMPLY THIS. I CAN DO MY BEST, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CAN DO ITS BEST TO GET ON WITH THE AIRPORT AND COMPLETE IT BEFORE 1997; EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE WILL SOONER OR LATER HAVE AN AIRPORT I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE ONE SOONER BUT IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE ONE UNTIL LATER THEN I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE MY FAULT BUT, WHAT WE MUST RECOGNISE IS THAT, WHILE THERE ARE VERY RARELY WITH PROJECTS LIKE THIS ABSOLUTE DEADLINES, THE TRUTH IS THAT THE LONGER IT TAKES TO CARRY OUT A PROJECT LIKE THIS THAT THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT IS. THERE IS NO DENYING THAT. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GET ON ON WITH IT, I THINK WE COULD SORT OUT ALL THE PROBLEMS IF THEY WERE CONSIDERED ON THEIR MERITS. IF WE CAN'T GET THAT SORT OF AGREEMENT THEN WE'LL JUST HAVE TO PROCEED AS BEST WE CAN.
QUESTION:
Ꮀ
—
THANK YOU SIR. WHEN YOU SAY IT WILL NOT BE MY FAULT IF IT DOESN'T PROCEED QUICKLY RATHER THAN LATER, ISN'T THAT IN A SENSE PLAYING THEIR OWN GAME AND ALMOST FORCING THEM TO MAKE A DECISION AS то WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO BACK YOU OR NOT? AREN'T YOU ACTUALLY SAYING TO THEM, LOOK IF YOU DON'T DO IT IT'S NOT MY FAULT, IT'S YOUR FAULT'?
/GOVERNOR: I