WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993
44
ON THE FIRST QUESTION, IT IS NOT AN
GOVERNOR:
ULTIMATUM. I'VE AVOIDED ULTIMA 'TA' OR 'TUMS' SCRUPULOUSLY. THE THREATS, THE HEAVY- HANDED ACCUSATIONS, HAVEN'T BEEN COMING FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND WE CERTAINLY HAVEN'T BEEN PUTTING ANY ULTIMATUMS. BUT ANYBODY WHO KNOWS WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS ARE, KNOWS THAT WE CAN'T GO ON TALKING FOR EVER. I GUESS IT WOULD BE NICE IN A SORT OF MACAWBERISH WAY IF WE COULD, BUT WE CAN'T. THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE COMPLICATED ENOUGH, IN ALL CONSCIENCE. WR HAVE ΤΟ GET THROUGH THE MAIN LEGISLATION. THE BOUNDARY ELECTION COMMISSION THEN HAS TO SIT, HAS TO PUT FORWARD SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION ON ISSUES LIKE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND VOTER REGISTRATION IN THEM. THAT HAS
THEN
THE
THEN
LONG
THAT
TO GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. IT IS AN EXTREMELY PROCESS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A CONSTITUTIONAL GENIUS TO KNOW WHEN I SAID THAT WE HAVE GOT TO GET IT SORTED OUT BY NEXT JULY, I WAS ERRING ON THE SIDE OF NOT GIVING ENOUGH TIME. I WOULDN'T EXPECT LEGISLATORS TO QUEUE UP AFTER MY SPEECH TODAY AND SAY, "DON'T WORRY, WE'LL ONLY NEED A COUPLE OF SITTINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO AGREE ANY PROPOSALS THAT YOU BRING FORWARD. IT WILL TAKE QUITE A LOT
TIME. SO, I AM JUST STATING WHAT I IMAGINE EVEN CHINESE OFFICIALS WHO MAY NOT HAVE A PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LEGISLATIVE ARRANGEMENTS, MUST BY NOW HAVE COTTONED ON TO.
THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION?
QUESTION:
GIVEN THE FAILURE OF THE MINISTERIAL MEETING IN NEW YORK LAST WEEK, ARE YOU STILL CONFIDENT THAT A FEW MORE ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATIONS CAN BRING ABOUT A BREAKTHROUGH?
GOVERNOR:
I
WOULDN'T BE WE CAN GO
MONTHS TICK
I AM A MAN OF BOUNDLESS OPTIMISM. ENJOYING THE CHALLENGE OF THIS JOB SO MUCH IF I WASN'T. ON HOPING. THOUGH I HAVE TO SAY THAT, AS THE WEEKS AND BY, HOPE BECOMES A LITTLE SHADOWED BY REALITY.
QUESTION:
MR PATTEN, HONG KONG IS
PARTICULARLY PRICKLY ABOUT SECRET DEALS, AND COULDN'T YOU HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE FORTHCOMING ABOUT THE POLITICAL CHANGES THAT YOU'D MADE TO YOUR ELECTORAL PROPOSALS INSTEAD OF HAVING A SERIES OF SECONDHAND TO THE NEWSPAPER WONDERING IF IT WAS REALLY GOING ON, AND THEN WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER TO HAVE YOU TELL US THAT IN JULY AND AUGUST YOU HAD MADE CHANGES?
BUT, I
GOVERNOR:
THE SIMPLE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS 'YES' THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE BELIEVES THAT
WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE REASONABLY CAN TO SECURE AN AGREEMENT. I UNDERLINE 'REASONABLY'. I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MASSIVELY PATIENT WHILE THIS MARATHON HAS BEEN RUN IN SECRET. I THINK THE COMMUNITY ACCEPTS AND UNDERSTANDS THAT IT HAS TO BE DONE CONFIDENTIALLY BECAUSE OF, PARTICULARLY, CHINESE CONCERNS. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY RECOGNISES THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I AM GOING TO HAVE ΤΟ STAND BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, JUST AS BRITISH MINISTERS WILL HAVE TO STAND BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT AT WESTMINSTER, AND JUSTIFY AND ARGUE FOR WHATEVER HAS BEEN AGREED AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. SO, I THINK THE COMMUNITY RECOGNISES THAT THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE A SECRET DEAL BELOW THE BAIZE, UNDERNEATH THE BILLIARD-TABLE, WHICH WILL BE VISITED THEM AND ABOUT WHICH THEY WILL HAVE NO SAY. I TRIED TO MAKE IT TODAY THAT WHEN THE BUCK STOPS IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE COMMUNITY WILL BE INVOLVED IN DRAWING THE LINE ON THE PAGE.
UPON CLEAR
WHOLE
/QUESTION: TODAY