5
FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1993
סיו
MR CHEUNG MAN-KWONG (THROUGH INTERPRETER): MR GOVERNOR, THE UDHK IS VERY HAPPY
LEARN THAT THE ELECTORAL BILLS WILL BE GAZETTED BUT WHEN WILL THE BILLS BE SUBMITTED ΤΟ THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL? DOES IT MEAN THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL BE REPRESENTING PEOPLE, BECAUSE IT WILL BE IN A POSITION TO EXAMINE THE BILLS AND WILL BE ENDORSING THE BILLS SO THAT WE CAN INFLUENCE THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS? AND EVEN IF TALKS ARE REOPENED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE SIDE, I THINK THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD NOT ONLY BE ONE OF THE LEGS OF A THREE-LEGGED-STOOL AND ACTUALLY IT SHOULD PLAY A MUCH MORE ACTIVE ROLE THAN THAT. AS LONG AS THE AGREEMENT IS NOT AGAINST THE JOINT DECLARATION THEN DOES IT MEAN THAT THE UK AND THE CHINESE SIDE MUST ACCEPT IT?
GOVERNOR:
[ THINK THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS ASKED TWO QUESTIONS WHICH ARE RATHER DIFFERENT. ONE IS ABOUT THE TIMING OF INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION, THE OTHER IS ABOUT THE PRECISE CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AND PERHAPS THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN WILL ALLOW ME TO ANSWER BOTH QUESTIONS IN SOME DETAIL.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STEPS AS ONE APPROACHES LEGISLATION. FIRST OF ALL, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS TO ENDORSE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS, AND IN THE CASE OF THE PROPOSALS ON THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS THAT HAS BEEN DONE. SECONDLY, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO GAZETTE THOSE PROPOSALS AND THAT, AFTER NOT HAVING TAKEN THAT ACTION FOR FOUR FRIDAYS, WE INTEND TO DO TODAY. THE NEXT STEP IS THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO THIS COUNCIL. WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER TAKING THAT STEP IN THE LIGHT OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS BUT I WANT TO SAY TO THE COUNCIL STRAIGHTAWAY THAT I STILL HOPE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE то HAVE TALKS ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. I SAY THAT, HOWEVER, RECOGNISING THAT TIME MOVES ON, RECOGNISING THAT WE ARE NOT IMAGINING THE DIFFICULTY AS WE PROCEED INTO THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION OF HAVING LESS AND LESS TIME FOR CONSIDERING THESE VERY IMPORTANT MATTERS. I DON'T IMAGINK THAT MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WILL TAKE A DECISION TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF DEBATE THEY WANT TO HAVE ON THESE PROPOSALS MERELY BECAUSE WE HAVE TAKEN AN AMOUNT OF TIME ΤΟ ACTUALLY INTRODUCE THEM TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SO WHILE WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, WE'LL ALSO HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO GIVE THE LEGISLATIVE ADEQUATE TIME TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS.
COUNCIL
/THE HONOURABLE
---