LO
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1992
GOVERNOR:
I REALISE THAT THE ARGUMENT FOR A REFERENDUM HAS BEEN PUT.
AND IS BEING PUT, BY A NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL.
IT WAS PUT TO ME ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS
A00, AFTER MY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADDRESS, BY A DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF THE CRC. I THINK IT'S BEEN PUT MORE RECENTLY BY MEMBERS OF THE
CRC, THOUGH I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT'S STILL REGARDED AS THE MOST APPROPRIATE APPROACH. I KNOW THAT OTHER MEMBERS HAVE PUT THE ARGUMENT FOR A REFERENDUM AS WELL. I HAVE TO SAY то HONOURABLE MEMBERS THAT IT'S NOT AT PRESENT ON MY AGENDA. ONE OF MY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS WHOLE DEBATE IS THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE CLEAR WHERE WE STAND. NOTHING WHATSOEVER CAN, AT THE END OF THE
DAY. ABSOLVE HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TAKING A VIEW ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG. THAT IS WHAT HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE ΤΟ DO. WHATEVER THE FIREWORKS THAT STREAK ACROSS THE HEAVENS, WHATEVER THE NOISES ELSEWHERE, AND WHATEVER THE PRESSURES FOR OR AGAINST REFERENDA. SO I REPEAT, IT IS NOT AT PRESENT IN MY PLANS, AND EVEN IF WHICH IT ISN'T, IT COULDN'T ABSOLVE HONOURABLE MEMBERS FROM MAKING THEIR OWN MINDS UP.
IT WERE,
MR LEE WING-TAT (IN CANTONESE): MR GOVERNOR, AFTER YOUR POLITICAL PACKAGE HAS COME OUT, MANY OPINION POLLS IN HONG KONG SHOW THAT MANY PEOPLE SUPPORT YOUR PACKAGE. AS OUR CHAIRMAN SAID, THE UDHK MAINLY SUPPORTS YOUR PACKAGE, BUT ABOUT YOUR PACKAGE, CLEARLY, IT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE VIEWS OF BEIJING. LAST TIME THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS TALKED TO ME SAYING THAT THIS IS A PROPOSAL, IT CAN BE AMENDED. NOW, BY WHAT MEANS CAN YOU CONTINUALLY ASSESS THE PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG, SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE FINAL LEGISLATION STAGE? THAT IS, WILL YOU BE TRYING TO PLEASE THE CHINESE, SO THAT YOU AMEND THE PACKAGE, SO THAT YOUR VIEWS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG? BECAUSE NOW, YOUR PERSONAL CHARISMA CAN ATTRACT PEOPLE, BUT IF YOU BACKTRACK MANY PEOPLE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW?
GOVERNOR:
MY VIEW IS THAT I OWE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AS DO THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, MY BEST JUDGMENT, AND ALL OF US HAVE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, TO MAKE A JUDGMENT ON WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD FOR HONG KONG. BUT LET ME ADD TWO POINTS WHICH I THINK ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT ANY GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE WORKING EFFECTIVELY WILL SURVIVE AND PROSFER. BELIEVE IS THAT GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE NOT OPEN, WHICH ARE NOT REGARDED AS HAVING BEEN FAIRLY CONSTITUTED, AND WHICH ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WILL SURVIVE. AND THAT IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT POINT FOR EVERYONE TO RECOGNISE WHEN THEY CONSIDER THE ISSUE OF POLITICAL STABILITY.
WHAT I DON'T
/I MAKE