WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1993
MR ALLEN LEE RAISED SOME VALID QUESTIONS IN
AN ATTEMPT ΤΟ CLARIFY MR WONG'S IDEAS. ONE MIGHT INDEED ASK WHERE, IN MR. WONG'S STRUCTURE, IS THE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY OF HIS PROPOSED POLITICAL APPOINTEES? WHAT WOULD BE THEIR LEGITIMACY? WHAT WOULD BE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES
THAT IS BOTH THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL AND SENIOR MEMBERS OF WHAT WE CONFUSINGLY CALL THE ADMINISTRATION? WHAT ADVANTAGE WOULD THEY ENJOY OVER THE SENIOR OFFICIALS THEY WOULD BE REPLACING IN TERMS OF GETTING LEGISLATIVE AND FINANCIAL PROPOSALS THROUGH THIS COUNCIL? WITH OUR EXECUTIVE-LED SYSTEM WE DO NOT HAVE, AND ARE NOT LIKELY TO HAVE, THE SORT OF CONVENTIONAL ARRANGEMENT WE SEE ELSEWHERE, WHICH PRODUCES POLITICIANS BACKED BY MAJORITY PARTY SUPPORT TO TAKE UP EXECUTIVE PORTFOLIOS.
MR. PRESIDENT, THE TRANSITION TO 1997 IS ALREADY UPON US. THE ROUTE IS CLEARLY MAPPED OUT IN THE BASIC LAW. THE PRESENT SYSTEM PROVIDES FOR AN EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE то THE LEGISLATURE. THE SYSTEM WORKS WELL. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT TURNING SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS INTO POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS WOULD IMPROVE THE EXISTING SYSTEM, MAKE IT WORK BETTER, OR IN ANY WAY HELP MAINTAIN STABILITY AND CONTINUITY IN THE MOST SENIOR RANKS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. INDEED, MEMBERS WILL WISH TO CONSIDER MOST CAREFULLY THE LONGER-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS. CONTINUITY IS INDEED AN IMPORTANT THEME. AND MR TAM YIU- CHUNG ASKED THE QUESTION WHETHER WE THE ADMINISTRATION, SENIOR OFFICIALS ARE READY FOR THE TRANSITION. WE ARE, OF COURSE, FULLY AWARE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW RELATING TO PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS. WE ARE, 'AS THE GOVERNOR STATED IN HIS ADDRESS LAST OCTOBER, DEVELOPING THE MOMENTUM OF LOCALISATION TO ENSURE THAT A RESERVOIR OF TALENT IS CREATED UPON WHICH WE CAN DRAW TO SELECT QUALIFIED AND SUITABLE LOCAL OFFICERS TO FILL ALL THESE POSTS BEFORE 1997. THIS EXERCISE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE STABILITY AND CONTINUITY OF HONG KONG AND WE MUST SEEK TO MAINTAIN MAXIMUM CONTINUITY TO 1997 AND BEYOND.
A
MR K K FUNG MADE REFERENCES WORRIES ON THE PART OF CIVIL SERVICE. OF COURSE, CIVIL SERVANTS AND INDEED HONG KONG PEOPLE AS WHOLE HAVE EXPRESSED VARIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT 1997. BUT IT WOULD, I THINK, BE QUITE ERRONEOUS TO ASSUME THAT WE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AS A RESULT OF THOSE CONCERNS FACE A MASS EXODUS OF SENIOR AND MIDDLE RANKING LOCAL OFFICIALS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF 1997. THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW BOTH PROVIDE SPECIFIC GUARANTEES FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE ON TERMS NO LESS FAVOURABLE THAN BEFORE AND THESE COVER, INTER ALIA, TERMS OF SERVICE, SALARIES, PENSIONS AND PROMOTION ARRANGEMENTS. IN ADDITION, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY REASSURED CIVIL SERVANTS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT FEAR THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997 AND THAT THEY WILL NOT BE PENALISED AFTER THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY.
WHILST I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE MOTION IS INTENDED AS A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THE CIVIL SERVICE FROM POLITICAL WORRIES, I CANNOT HELP FEELING THAT, IF ADOPTED, IT WOULD HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. THE EXISTING SYSTEM WORKS WELL, AND THE SORT OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IMPLICIT IN THE MOTION SEEMS COMPLETELY UNCALLED FOR, FAR FROM REASSURING CIVIL SERVANTS, I SUGGEST THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS AT THE TOP WOULD HAVE A DESTABILISING EFFECT ON THE CIVIL SERVICE AND WOULD MILITATE AGAINST CONTINUITY AT THE SENIOR LEVELS. OUR EXISTING SYSTEM IS WELL TRIED AND TESTED. LET US BUILD ON IT AS PROVIDED IN THE BASSIC LAW, NOT IMAGINE THAT WE CAN START OUR JOURNEY FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
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