14
FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1993
MR EDWARD HO:
I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS MISUNDERSTOOD MY FIRST QUESTION. MY FIRST QUESTION WAS NOT RELATING TO THE REASONABLENESS OF THE PROPOSALS, IT WAS REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE TIMING BETWEEN GAZETTAL AND INTRODUCTION. SO FOR INSTANCE, IF INTRODUCTION WERE NOT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS, THEN MY QUESTION IS: WHY CAN'T THE GAZETTAL BE DEFERRED SEVEN DAYS? BECAUSE INTRODUCTION AND GAZETTAL COULD TAKE MORE OR LESS IN THE SAME MOMENTS.
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GOVERNOR:
BUT AT ANY STAGE WHEN WE GAZETTE, THE SAME
I COULD QUESTION ABOUT INTRODUCTION COMES UP.
IF I WASN'T LEADING A GOVERNMENT OF SUCH LEGENDARY PATIENCE I COULD TAKE THE VIEW THAT WE SHOULD PROCEED, IN VIEW OF OUR EXPERIENCE OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS, DIRECTLY TO INTRODUCE THE LEGISLATION. I'VE SAID AGAIN AND AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON THAT WE'LL WANT TO LOOK AT OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND STILL HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE TALKS. BUT I THINK IF I'D COME TO THE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON AND SAID TO THE COUNCIL: WE HAVEN'T GOT A DATE FOR TALKS; WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOT A DATE WHEN I'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A DATE FOR TALKS; WE HAVEN'T GOT AGREEMENT THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE PART OF THE BRITISH TEAM AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. IF I'D COME TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON SAYING ALL THAT AND THEN GOING ON TO SAY: NEVERTHELESS, WE WON'T GAZETTE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER FRIDAY, I THINK THIS COUNCIL WOULD HAVE REGARDED ME AS BEING MORE THAN A TRIFLE INDECISIVE. I THINK THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE REGARDED ME AS MORE THAN A TRIFLE INDECISIVE. I THINK A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE REGARDED IT AS INDECISIVE. BECAUSE I'VE HEARD MORE AND MORE PEOPLE SAYING: WE WANT TO KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING, WE WANT A DECISION, WE DON'T JUST WANT TO GO ON HANGING ABOUT.
MR MARTIN BARROW:
MR PRESIDENT, GOVERNOR, CAN WE TAKE OURSELVES AWAY FROM CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A MOMENT. AS YOU'VE SAID EARLIER, THERE ARE MANY OTHER MATTERS WHICH WE NEED TO GET ON WITH OUTSIDE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, ON OCTOBER EMPHASISED YOUR DETERMINATION THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE BUSINESS-FRIENDLY PLACE IN ASIA. COULD YOU ADVISE WHAT ACTION IS BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THAT REMAINS THE CASE?
7TH YOU THE MOST SPECIFIC
GOVERNOR:
I MADE A PARTICULARLY MOVING SPEECH TO THE INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS YESTERDAY, IN WHICH I TRIED то ANSWER THAT QUESTION AS WELL AS I COULD. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WHO IS HIMSELF A DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS UNDERTAKING MANY PUBLIC SERVICE OBLIGATIONS, WILL I THINK BE AWARE OF THE DECISIONS TAKEN IN THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S BUDGET WHICH CONFIRM THE THRUST OF GOVERNMENT POLICY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW AND EXPAND ON THE BASIS OF UNFETTERED PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
I THINK THAT GUARANTEEING SOUND MACRO-ECONOMIC POLICY WITH LOW TAX, WITH PUBLIC SPENDING WHICH GROWS IN LINE WITH THE ECONOMY RATHER THAN AHEAD OF GROWTH IN THE ECONOMY, WITH RESERVES WHICH WILL BE GREATER IN 1997 EVEN THAN WE WERE PREDICTING LAST YEAR I THINK DECISIONS WHICH CONFIRM THOSE ELEMENTS OF MACRO-ECONOMIC POLICY WILL ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN THE MOST BUSINESS-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY OR ONE OF THE MOST BUSINESS-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA.
/BUT THERE